Cardiovascular risk can be improved in people with type 2 diabetes by reducing blood glucose concentrations and lipid profiles and by weight loss.

A systematic review of dietary interventions included 20 randomised controlled trials.

Glycaemic control improved more with low carbohydrate, low glycaemic index, Mediterranean, and high protein diets than with control diets; the Mediterranean diet resulted in the biggest improvement.

Low carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets led to greater weight loss, and high density lipoprotein increased for all diets apart from the high protein diet.

Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2013;97:505-16.

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