Association between Glycemic Indices, hs-CRP and Anthropometrical Parameters of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Risk of obesity, inflammatory conditions and poor glycemic control have been reported to be lower among vegetarian T2DM patients due to their lower intake of fat, high intake of dietary fiber and micronutrients. However, several factors influence dietary practices and thereby glycemic control among patients which demands in depth observation. A cross-sectional observational study to examine the association between body composition, glycemic control and hs-CRP of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients was conducted on 160 uncontrolled T2DM patients including 81 (50.6%) vegetarians and 79 (49.4%) non-vegetarians with mean age of 49.8±7.2 years. They were assessed for body composition using anthropometry. Biochemical parameters [(Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Post Prandial Blood Sugar (PPBS), Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) and high sensitive C Reactive Protein (hs-CRP)] were obtained from their case files. Data were analysed using SPSS software for Windows (Version 16.0, 2007, SPSS Inc, Chicago IL). Anthropometric indices (weight, BMI, WC, hip circumference, WHR, BMR, visceral fat) and hs-CRP levels were significantly higher in vegetarians than non-vegetarians (p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in FBS, PPBS and HbA1C between the two groups (p>0.05). Vegetarian participants had higher hs-CRP (≤3.0 mg/dl) and poor glycemic control. A positive correlation of anthropometry indices with hs-CRP was also observed among the participants (p<0.05). Dietary practices of vegetarians might vary across the populations and communities and hence there is a strong need to strictly consider these differences in the development of dietary strategies for T2DM.