Salt intake may be associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. Research presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and published in Diabetologia found sodium intake increased the risk of developing both type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.
Salt intake may be associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. Research presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and published in Diabetologia found sodium intake increased the risk of developing both type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA).
Researchers, led by Bahareh Rasouli, PhD, of The Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institutet in Sltockholm, Sweden, set out to discover the link because previous research has suggested excessive salt consumption may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Sodium is thought to have this effect by impacting insulin resistance or by increasing blood pressure and promoting weight gain.
Using data from a Swedish population-based study of risk factors for LADA and type 2 diabetes, the researchers compared 335 cases of LADA and 1136 cases of type 2 diabetes with a matched group of 1379 individuals who acted as controls. LADA is a form of type 1 diabetes that differs in that LADA develops slowly. Since it appears later in adulthood, LADA can be mistakenly diagnosed as type 2 diabetes,
Dietary intake was recorded to calculate the consumption of calories, nutrients, and sodium; genetic risk was considered—people were divided into “high risk” or “other” depending on their HLA genotype; and the researchers accounted for differences in risk factors, such as age, sex, body mass index, physical activity, and potassium intake.
The authors found that for each extra gram of sodium consumed daily, there was a 43% average increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and a 73% average increase in the risk of developing LADA.
The participants of the study had also been divided into groups based on their sodium intake: low consumption for fewer than 2.4 grams of sodium daily; medium consumption for 2.4 to 3.15 grams of sodium daily; and high consumption for more than 3.15 grams of sodium daily.
People with the highest consumption had a 58% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared with the group that had the lowest consumption. Patients with high-risk HLA genotypes with a high consumption of sodium were 4 times more likely to develop LADA than participants with low consumption of sodium.
"These findings may have important implications in the primary prevention of diabetes with adult onset,” the authors suggested.
How Can Employers Leverage the DPP to Improve Diabetes Rates?
February 15th 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Jill Hutt, vice president of member services at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health, explains the Coalition’s efforts to reduce diabetes rates through the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).
Listen
Balancing Care Access and Fragmentation for Better Outcomes in Veterans With Diabetes
April 22nd 2021The authors of a study in the April 2021 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® discuss the possible reasons behind the link between care fragmentation and hospitalizations in veterans with diabetes, as well as potential opportunities to address disjointed care in the context of the widespread telehealth uptake seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
What We’re Reading: ACA Perception; FDA Blood Sugar Warning; AI and Physician Burnout
February 22nd 2024More than half of US adults have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act (ACA); smartwatches and rings that claim to measure blood sugar levels without piercing the skin could be dangerous and should be avoided; many believe artificial intelligence (AI) could be the solution to physician burnout.
Read More
Advancements in Diabetes Technology: Coverage, Challenges, and Pregnancy Considerations
February 15th 2024Expert interviews highlight advancements and challenges in diabetes care technology, including automated insulin delivery systems and continuous glucose monitors, as well as improvements in insurance coverage.
Read More