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Effect of long-term Mediterranean versus low-fat diet on neutrophil count, and type 2 diabetes mellitus remission in patients with coronary heart disease: results from the CORDIOPREV study.

Nutrition & diabetes
March 27, 2025
Hatim Boughanem et al. (16 authors)
Journal ArticleRandomized Controlled TrialHuman StudyClinical
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to investigate the associations between neutrophil count and T2DM remission in patients following either a Mediterranean or low-fat diet.

Results Summary

The study found that a low-fat diet did not show a significant association with T2DM remission, unlike the Mediterranean diet, which was linked to remission in patients with lower baseline neutrophil counts. Neutrophil-related ratios (NER, NHR) also showed no significant predictive value for remission in the low-fat diet group.

Population

Newly-diagnosed T2DM patients (N=183) without glucose-lowering treatment from the CORDIOPREV study.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

5 years

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (6)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
Mediterranean diet
increase
T2DM remission
newly-diagnosed T2DM patients without glucose-lowering treatment
adjusted HR of 4.23 (95% CI: 1.53-11.69)
was associated with an increased likelihood of
#1
low-fat diet
no change
T2DM remission
newly-diagnosed T2DM patients without glucose-lowering treatment
-
was not associated with
#2
Mediterranean diet
decrease
neutrophil count
Responders (patients who achieved T2DM remission)
p = 0.001
exhibited a significant decrease in
#3
Mediterranean diet
increase
Insulin Sensitivity
Responders (patients who achieved T2DM remission)
p = 0.011
exhibited a significant increase in
#4
Mediterranean diet
increase
Disposition Index
Responders (patients who achieved T2DM remission)
p = 0.018
exhibited a significant increase in
#5
-
decrease
neutrophil count
Responders (patients who achieved T2DM remission) compared to Non-responders
p = 0.006
exhibited lower
#6
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence links diet and physical activity with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) remission, but emerging findings suggest that immune system dysregulation may play a crucial role. This study aimed to investigate the associations between neutrophils and T2DM remission. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive analysis of newly-diagnosed T2DM patients (N = 183) from the CORDIOPREV study, without glucose-lowering treatment, and were randomized to follow either a Mediterranean or low-fat diet. Patients were classified into two groups: Responders, who achieved T2DM remission (n = 73), and Non-Responders, who did not achieve remission during the 5-year dietary intervention (n = 110). Neutrophil count and their related-ratio (NER, NBR, NLR and NHR, normalized with erythrocytes, basophils, lymphocytes, and HDL respectively) were measured at the baseline and 5 years of follow-up. RESULTS: The lowest baseline tertile of neutrophil count was associated with an increased likelihood of T2DM remission among patients following a Mediterranean diet (but not for low-fat diet) when compared with the highest tertile [adjusted HR of 4.23 (95% CI: 1.53-11.69)], in which similar results were observed for NER and NHR. When considering clinical and neutrophil variables, the predictive capacity of this model yielded an AUC of 0.783 (95% CI: 0.680-0.822). Furthermore, after 5-years, Responders exhibited lower neutrophil count compared to Non-responders (p = 0.006) and a significant decrease in neutrophil count (p = 0.001) compared to baseline. This decrease in neutrophil count in Responders who consumed a Mediterranean diet exhibited a significant increase in Insulin Sensitivity and Disposition Index (p = 0.011 and p = 0.018) after the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that neutrophil count can help in identifying patients that are more likely to achieve T2DM remission following a Mediterranean diet, suggesting a role on insulin sensitivity and β-cell function. Further research holds promise for providing valuable insights into the pathophysiology of T2DM. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ID: NCT00924937; URL Clinical trial: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT00924937?cond=NCT00924937&rank=1 .

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2Diet, MediterraneanMaleNeutrophilsDiet, Fat-RestrictedFemaleMiddle AgedAgedCoronary DiseaseRemission InductionLeukocyte Count
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy40/10
Quality85/10
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.70
Normalized Score0.53
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