Associations of Dietary Fructose and Sucrose Intake with HbA1c and Anthropometric Measurements in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Aim. This study aimed to evaluate the associations of daily dietary intake of fructose and sucrose with HbA1c levels and anthropometric measurements in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods. A total of 64 individuals were included in the study. Demographic characteristics, eating habits, frequency of fructose and sucrose source consumption, and dietary intakes were assessed through questioning. Anthropometric measurements, including body weight, height circumference (HtC), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), neck circumference (NC), wrist circumference (WrC), and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), were evaluated. The HbA1c level was categorized into two groups: good glycemic control (HbA1c≤ 7%) and poor (HbA1c> 7%) glycemic control. Results. The mean daily fructose and sucrose intakes were 10.57 ± 8.28 g (2.38 ± 1.96%), and 29.21 ± 24.78 g (6.29 ± 5.35%), respectively. All the anthropometric measurements assessed were lower in the group with good glycemic control; however, only in case of BMI, MUAC, NC, and WrC, these differences were significant. Patients with good glycemic control were found to consume more fruit. Anthropometric measurements were not related to daily fructose intake, but positively associated with sucrose intake and HbA1c levels. Specifically, HbA1c levels were negatively associated with fiber intake and positively associated with sucrose intake. Moreover, HbA1c levels were positively affected by NC and consumption of non-alcoholic carbonated drinks, and negatively affected by WC and consumption of sugar-containing instant coffee. Conclusions. The mean daily fructose intake among diabetics was found to be moderate and sucrose intake was consistent with the recommended range. The level of HbA1c was shown to be associated with all the anthropometric parameters assessed, and it was found that sugar-sweetened beverages could affect the level of HbA1c. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to investigate these relationships more comprehensively.