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Review
. 2024 Mar;26(3):73-81.
doi: 10.1007/s11886-023-02018-x. Epub 2024 Jan 23.

Nutritional Aspects to Cardiovascular Diseases and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Hayley E Billingsley #  1 , Emily M Heiston #  2 , Moriah P Bellissimo #  2 , Carl J Lavie  3 , Salvatore Carbone  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Nutritional Aspects to Cardiovascular Diseases and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Hayley E Billingsley et al. Curr Cardiol Rep. 2024 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose of review: In this narrative review, we discuss the current evidence related to the role of dietary interventions to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We also propose alternative therapeutic strategies other than weight loss in this population, namely, improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness and its determinants.

Recent findings: While weight loss has been consistently associated with the prevention of T2DM and improvements in glycemic control in those with established diseases, its role in preventing and treating CVD is less clear. In fact, in this setting, improvements in diet quality have provided greater benefits, suggesting that this might represent an alternative, or an even more effective strategy than energy-restriction. Improvements in diet quality, with and without caloric restriction have been shown to improve CVD risk and to prevent the development of T2DM in individuals at risk; however, with regard to glycemic control in patients with T2DM, any dietary intervention resulting in significant weight loss may produce clinically meaningful benefits. Finally, dietary interventions with and without energy restriction that can improve cardiorespiratory fitness, even in absence of weight loss in patients with obesity, should be encouraged.

Keywords: Diet; Mediterranean diet; Nutrition; Obesity; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Weight loss.

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Conflict of interest statement

Carl J. Lavie reports the following: Speaker and Consultant for AstraZeneca and DSMB for Novo Nordisk. The other authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. Hayley E. Billingsley is supported by a NIA grant 5T32AG062403-04.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Energy restriction-induced weight loss and improvements in diet quality to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases. Created with BioRender.com. Abbreviations: CV, cardiovascular; T2DM, type 2 diabetes mellitus
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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