Glycemic Control in Diabetic Patients Receiving a Diabetes-Specific Nutritional Enteral Formula: A Case Series in Home Care Settings

• Published in: Nutrients 2024-08, Vol.16 (16), p.2602
• Main Authors: Pantanetti, Paola, Cangelosi, Giovanni, Sguanci, Marco, Morales Palomares, Sara, Nguyen, Cuc Thi Thu, Morresi, Giulio, Mancin, Stefano, Petrelli, Fabio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Body mass index; Carbohydrates; Deglutition Disorders - diet therapy; Deglutition Disorders - therapy; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus - blood; Diabetes Mellitus - diet therapy; Diabetes Mellitus - therapy; diabetic patients; Enteral nutrition; Enteral Nutrition - methods; Fatty acids; Female; Food, Formulated; Glucose; glycemic control; Glycemic Control - methods; glycemic variability; home care; Home Care Services; Humans; Hyperglycemia; Insulin; Insulin - blood; Lipids - blood; Male; Metabolism; Middle Aged; Nutrition; Ostomy; Parenteral nutrition; Patients
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu16162602

In patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Enteral Nutrition (EN) is associated with less hyperglycemia and lower insulin requirements compared to Parenteral Nutrition (PN). The primary aim of this study was to assess changes in glycemic control (GC) in DM patients on EN therapy. The secondary objectives included evaluating the impact of the specialized formula on various clinical parameters and the tolerability of the nutritional formula by monitoring potential gastrointestinal side effects. We report a case series on the effects of a Diabetes-Specific Formula (DSF) on GC, lipid profile (LP), and renal and hepatic function in a DM cohort receiving EN support. Twenty-two DM subjects with total dysphagia (thirteen men, nine women) on continuous EN were observed. The use of a DSF in EN was associated with an improvement in glycemic indices across all patients studied, leading to a reduction in average insulin demand. No hospitalizations were reported during the study period. The study demonstrated that the use of DSFs in a multi-dimensional home care management setting can improve glycemic control, reduce glycemic variability and insulin need, and positively impact the lipid profile of the DM cohort. The metabolic improvements were supported by the clinical outcomes observed.