P-133: Impact of low glycemic index diet on metabolic control in patients with type 1 diabetes using technology in a tertiary pediatric hospital from South America
M C Gabrás, G Bilos, M Raspini, B Soto Montesano, C Alasio, M Giudice Bravo, G Krochik, C Vezzani, S BlasiAbstract
Introduction
Nutrition is a cornerstone of comprehensive diabetes care. Carbohydrate (CHO) counting is the most frequently used tool in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D); incorporating the Glycemic Index (GI) would provide an additional benefit for metabolic control compared to CHO counting as the sole strategy.
Objectives
To evaluate the impact and safety of a low-GI diet, as a complementary strategy to CHO counting, on glycemic control in pediatric patients with T1D.
Methods
Prospective, comparative, longitudinal, interventional, analytical study. Patients aged 4 to 18 years with a history of T1D of more than 1 year who used a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and/or continuous insulin pump (CIP) were included. All patients used an appropriate CHO counting technique. To assess the impact, changes in Time in Range (TIR), Glycemic Variability (VAR), and estimated HbA1c were analyzed in sensor/pump reports on Day 0 (D0) and after education and implementation of a low-GI diet (GI < 55) on Day 14 (D14). Safety was determined by the number of hypoglycemic events in reports from Day 0 and Day 14. SPSS 27 was used.
Results
21 patients participated, with a mean age of 10 years, a mean duration of diabetes of 5 years, and a mean HbA1c of 7.4% (min. 6.4–max. 8.9). 61% used CGM, 38% used CIP. When analyzing the means of TIR% using a paired t-test, a statistically significant difference was observed (p<0.05). VAR values and estimated HbA1c did not show significant changes, nor did the number of hypoglycemic events on Day 0 and Day 14. (see results Table 1)
Conclusions
A low-GI diet combined with CHO counting proved to be effective and safe for metabolic control in pediatric patients with T1D. These findings suggest that these recommendations could be applied to patients without access to new technologies, reinforcing the importance of nutritional intervention as a cross-cutting strategy in the treatment of T1D.