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Nurses' Diet Tips Slash Diabetes Blood Sugar
14 Nov
Summary
- Nurse-led diet advice improved blood sugar control in diabetes patients.
- Simple dietary changes reduced average HbA1c by 0.6 points.
- Programme to be rolled out in 140 Chennai health centres.
A collaborative year-long trial by the Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Epidemiology (ICMR-NIE) and the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has revealed the effectiveness of simple dietary advice provided by staff nurses in improving diabetes management.
The study, conducted between November 2024 and February 2025 across 16 Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) in Chennai, involved 333 adults with type 2 diabetes. Participants received brief, one-on-one dietary advice during their regular medicine visits.
Nurses advised patients to limit rice intake, reduce consumption of biscuits and sugary drinks, and incorporate more vegetables and affordable proteins like dal and eggs. The advice also included regular medication, stress management, and physical activity.
After 12 months, the group receiving dietary advice showed an average HbA1c reduction to 8.5%, compared to 9.1% in the control group, indicating better blood sugar control. Notably, no instances of low blood sugar or diet-related hospitalizations were reported.
Recognizing these positive outcomes, the GCC is set to implement this nurse-led diabetes diet advice program in all 140 of its UPHCs. Training for healthcare professionals has already been completed, with ICMR-NIE providing technical support for the scale-up.
