Diet and Lifestyle for Diabetes Patients 'No Different' than General Public

A recent study suggests that the lifestyle for people with diabetes could potentially be no different from the general public. Although those with diabetes may benefit more form the same advice, lead study author Dr. diewertje sluik from the Department of Epidemiology, the German Institute of Human Nutrition Postadm-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany and colleagues believe that with the right care, those suffering from this health condition can live relatively normal lives. 

Researchers investigated whether the association between lifestyle factors and mortality risks differ between individuals with and without diabetes. 

With the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer Nutrition (EPIC), a cohor was formed of 6,384 persons that have diabetes and 258,911 EPIC participants without diabetes. Computer modeling was used in order to explore the relationship involving mortality with the following risk factors, including body-mass index, wast/height ration, 26 food groups, alcohol consumption, leisure-time physical activity and smoking. 

Overall, the researchers found that the mortality rate was 62 percent higher in people with diabetes compared to those without. Their fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, pasta, poulty and vegetable oil intake also showed a lower mortality risk, along with the intake of butter and margarine showing an increased mroality rate. Yet there were no differences between people with and without diabetes for other lifestyle factors, including adiposity, alcohol consumption, physical activity and smoking. 

The authors conclude the following, via a press release: "It appears that the intake of some food groups is more beneficial (fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, pasta, poultry, vegetable oil) or more detrimental (soft drinks, butter, margarine, cake, cookies) with respect to mortality risk in people with diabetes. This may indicate that individuals with diabetes may benefit more from  than people without diabetes. However, since the directions of association were generally the same, recommendations for a healthy diet should be similar for people with or without diabetes." 

More information regarding the study can be found via the journal Diabetologia.