Chromium Treatment Has No Effect in Patients With Poorly Controlled, Insulin-Treated Type 2 Diabetes in an Obese Western Population

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—Chromium treatment has been reported to improve glycemic control and insulin sensitivity in specific populations of patients with type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of chromium treatment on glycemic control in a Western population of insulin-dependent patients with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—In this 6-month double-blind study, patients with an HbA1c (A1C) >8% and insulin requirements of >50 units/day were randomly assigned to receive treatment with placebo or 500 or 1,000 μg chromium daily in the form of chromium picolinate. The primary efficacy parameter was a change in A1C. Secondary end points were changes in lipid profile, BMI, blood pressure, and insulin requirements. RESULTS—In this per-protocol analysis (n = 46), the decrease in A1C was approximately equal across the three groups (0.4%). All patients had a BMI >25 kg/m2. No differences were found in the secondary end points. We found a weak relationship between an increasing serum chromium concentration and improvement of the lipid profile. CONCLUSIONS—There is no evidence that high-dose chromium treatment is effective in obese Western patients with type 2 diabetes.