Evaluation of the relationship between nutrition and the risk of fatal outcomes from cardiovascular diseases in people with type 2 diabetes

Aim. To evaluate the relationship between nutrition and the risk of fatal outcomes from cardiovascular diseases in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and methods. The baseline study was conducted within the HAPIEE project in 2002-2005. The followup period for the observed cohort, including individuals with T2DM, lasted from 2003-2005 to December 31, 2018 and reached on average 12.8 years (1.1 +/- 16.0 years). Within the study, 2 groups were formed: the treatment group which included persons with T2DM who "developed fatal events" and the control group which encompassed individuals with T2DM who "did not develop fatal events" during the follow-up. The treatment group included 207 people (107 men, 100 women), the average age for both sexes was 62.4 +/- 5.9 years; the control group consisted of 474 people (177 men, 297 women), the average age for both sexes was 58.1 +/- 6.6 years. The data on actual nutrition were obtained from a survey of the participants using the Food Frequency Questionnaire and included information on consumption of 147 foods. Statistical processing of the data was carried out using the SPSS 13.0 software package. The data were presented as M +/- SD, where M is the arithmetic mean and SD is the standard deviation. An analysis of the association between nutrition and the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases was performed using the Cox regression model. The differences were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. Results. In the studied sample, we identified a significant relationship between the consumption of a number of foods and the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases in people with T2DM over a 15-year follow-up. It was shown that increased consumption of fruits (by 80 g / day) and nuts (by 2 g / day) was significantly associated with a decreased risk of death in men: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.726, p = 0.044 and HR = 0.826, p = 0.011, respectively. Increased consumption of eggs in men (by 50 g / day) was associated with an increased risk of death: HR = 1.728, p = 0.003. In women, a decreased risk of death was observed only with the consumption of meat products: HR = 0.786, p = 0.036. Conclusion. The results of the study showed a clear relationship between the consumption of a number of foods and the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases. Thus, increased consumption of fruits, nuts, and meat products was significantly associated with a decreased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases in people with T2DM, while the consumption of eggs and dairy products, on the contrary, was associated with an increased risk of mortality. These data indicate the importance of dietary control in individuals with carbohydrate metabolism disorders.