Effect of Meat Consumption on the Glycaemic Control, Obesity and Blood Pressure in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Obesity and Diabetes mellitus have become major public health threats across the globe. A high calorie food consumption and the lack of physical exercise are producing generations that are increasingly obese and diabetic. Diet plays an important role in the causation, management and complications of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Objectives: To compare meat consumption with the glycaemic control, BMI and blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study which was done on the medical records of the patients with type 2 diabetes, who attended the Medicine OPD of a medical college hospital in Mangalore. The study group consisted of 110 male diabetic patients who were on treatment, who were aged between 45 and 65 years. They were divided into two groups, based on their food habits with respect to the type of meat which was consumed (viz. red meat consumers, white meat consumers). Their FBS, PPBS, BMI, blood pressure and diet history were noted. These parameters between the red meat and the white meat consumers were compared by the unpaired t-test. Results: The results revealed that red meat consumption was positively associated with a poor glycaemic control in terms of both FBS and PPBS (p < 0.0005). There was a significant association of the red meat consumption with the BMI and blood pressure (p < 0.0005 and p< 0.004 respectively). Conclusion: This study indicated that the consumption of red meat may aggravate the indices of glycaemic control, obesity and blood pressure in patients with type 2 diabetes. A moderation of red meat consumption should be advocated to patients with type 2 diabetes.