Low-carbohydrate diet in children and young people with type 1 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial with cross-over design

Aims

We investigated whether a short period of tightly controlled low-carbohydrate diet (LCD) leads to higher time in range without increasing the associated risks in children and young people with diabetes (CYPwD).

Methods

Thirty-five (CYPwD) were recruited into this randomized controlled cross-over study (20 female; 20 CSII; age 14.5 ± 2.9 years; HbA1c 48.9 ± 9.4 mmol/mol). The interventions were five and five weeks of ready-made food box deliveries of isocaloric diets in random order: either LCD (94.5 ± 4.7 g/day) or recommended carbohydrate diet (RCD) (191 ± 19.2 g/day). The outcomes were continuous glucose monitoring parameters, anthropometric, laboratory and quality of life (QoL) data.

Results

Time in range was significantly higher in the LCD than in the RCD period (77.1 % vs. 73.8 %, P=0.008). Times in hyperglycemia and average glycaemia were significantly lower in the LCD. There was no difference between the diets in time in hypoglycemia or glycemic variability. The subjects’ body weight and BMI were significantly lower during the LCD. There was no significant difference in the LDL-cholesterol levels. No significant differences were observed in the self-assessed QoL.

Conclusions

Short-term LCD led to an improvement of glycemic parameters without increasing time in hypoglycemia, disturbing the lipid profile or negatively affecting the quality of life of CYPwD.