Low Carb Program one-year health outcomes published in peer-reviewed journal

The Low Carb Program is effective for improving the health of people with type 2 diabetes, according to a new review.

Better blood sugar control, weight loss and reduced dependency on hypoglycemic medications were among the Low Carb Program's benefits, as reported in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

The review was led by Laura R Saslow, PhD, from the University of Michigan, while Diabetes.co.uk's Chief Operating Officer Charlotte Summers and Dr David Unwin, one of the UK's leading innovatory GPs and member of Diabetes.co.uk's Advisory Panel, were among the co-authors.

The authors aimed to evaluate the one-year outcomes of the Low Carb Program, a digital health intervention launched on World Diabetes Day in 2015. The program guides people to eat a diet low in carbohydrate and high in healthy fats to improve health, particularly for those with, or at risk of, type 2 diabetes.

Participants with diagnosed type 2 diabetes were randomly selected to be followed for one year upon joining the program and overall blood sugar control and weight loss improved, particularly for those who completed all 10 modules.

Of the 743 participants with a starting HbA1c of 47.5 mmol/mol (6.5%) or above, 26.2% lowered their HbA1c while taking no glucose-lowering medication or just metformin. Among those taking at least one diabetes medication before the study, 40.4% reduced one of more of these drugs.

Almost half of all participants lost at least 5% of their body weight, and those with higher HbA1c levels at the start of the program who finished the program lost an average of 6.9%. This group also experienced greater HbA1c reductions.

"Especially for participants who fully engage, an online program that teaches a carbohydrate-reduced diet to adults with type 2 diabetes can be effective for glycemic control, weight loss, and reducing hypoglycemic medications," the authors wrote.

Ms Summers added: "I am so proud to see the impact of the Low Carb Program published for the world to see and it is really exciting to share the one-year outcomes."