Plant-Based Diet May Reduce Heart Disease Risk in Certain Diabetes Patients: Study

A plant-based diet may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in people with severe autoimmune diabetes, according to findings from the German Diabetes Study. Researchers analysed data from 612 adults with either newly diagnosed diabetes or a disease duration of around five years. Participants were grouped into severe autoimmune diabetes, mild obesity-related diabetes and mild age-related diabetes. Using the SCORE2 Diabetes risk model and dietary assessments, the study found that individuals who closely followed healthy plant-based diets had a significantly lower estimated 10-year cardiovascular risk.

The research also revealed that higher fibre intake was associated with additional heart health benefits in people with severe autoimmune diabetes. Foods such as nuts and legumes appeared to contribute to the reduced cardiovascular risk. However, similar benefits were not observed among participants with mild obesity-related or mild age-related diabetes. Researchers said further long-term studies are needed to determine how dietary habits influence cardiovascular outcomes across different diabetes subtypes.