Association Between Plant-Based Diet and Continuous Glucose Monitoring-Derived Glycemic Dynamics Among Pregnant Women With Gestational Diabetes.

Abstract

We aim to investigate the association of plant-based diets with the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)-derived glycemic metrics among gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) patients. We included 1756 GDM patients in the present analyses and assessed plant-based dietary patterns through constructing a plant-based diet index (PDI), healthy PDI (hPDI), and unhealthy PDI (uPDI). CGM-glycemic metrics, such as time in range (TIR), mean blood glucose (MBG), time below range (TBR), low blood glucose index (LBGI), mean of daily differences (MODD), and glycemic risk assessment in diabetes equation (GRADE), were constructed. We found that individuals in the highest quartile of PDI were more likely to have greater TIR (β: 0.28, 95% CI: 0.14 to 0.41) and MBG (β: 0.23, 95% CI: 0.09 to 0.36), while lower TBR (β: -0.26, 95% CI: -0.39 to -0.12), LBGI (β: -0.18, 95% CI: -0.32 to -0.05), and GRADE (β: -0.25, 95% CI: -0.39 to -0.11), compared to those in the lowest quartile. Moreover, most of these associations demonstrated a dose-response relationship, and hPDI and uPDI showed distinct associations with MODD, with higher hPDI favoring a healthier MODD pattern (FDR < 0.05). This study suggests potential benefits of increasing intake of plant-based food for glycemic management among GDM patients.