Low-Calorie Diet Eliminates Type 2 Diabetes While Improving Heart Function – Study

Obese patients with type 2 diabetes who consumed a low-calorie diet were able to eliminate insulin dependence, according to an unpublished Dutch clinical study. They also showed signs of improved heart function. The researchers used cardiac MRI to analyze cardiac function and pericardial fat in 15 patients after four months of a 500-calories-a-day diet. BMI dropped from 35.3 to 27.5 over four months. Pericardial fat decreased and diastolic heart function improved. After an additional 14 months of follow-up on a regular diet, BMI increased to 31.7, but pericardial fat only increased slightly. "Despite regain of weight, these beneficial cardiovascular effects were persistent over the long term," the researchers concluded.