provision of nutritional/lifestyle counseling on diabetes self-management: a chance to improve metabolic control in new cases of type 2 diabetes

b a ckground: type  2  diabetes  (t2d)  is  an  increasing  public  health  problem primarily because of increase in the prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle and obesity. the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of self-management education on metabolic control in adults with t2d. m ethods : in a quasi-experimental study, 300 patients with t2d recruited from the diabetes society of natanz, isfahan, iran, from october 2012 to january 2013. the patients participated in a 16-week educational program held by trained dietician. at baseline, the intervention group attended a 20 minutes lifestyle and nutritional oral education program. participants were assessed at baseline, 2 and 4 months follow-up for changes in body mass index, glycemic status, and lipid profile. non-parametric  and  parametric  descriptive  and  group  ×  time  (pre-post)  repeated measure analysis of variance was done. results : the mean (± standard deviation) amount of weight lost between baseline and the end of 16 weeks was 0.66 ± 1.62 kg in compared to baseline (p < 0.0010). significant  time  ×  treatment  interaction  effects  were  found  for  triglycerides (p < 0.0001), high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (p = 0.0010), fasting blood sugar (fbs) (p < 0.0001), 2-hour postprandial glucose (p < 0.0001), systolic blood pressure (bp)  (p  <  0.0001), diastolic bp  (p  < 0.0001), and hemoglobin a1c (hba1c) (p = 0.0010). mean fbs concentrations decreased by 30 mg/dl at week16. there was a non-significant increase in the hba1c. conclusion : nutritional/lifestyle counseling may improve metabolic control in t2d patients. hence, it is possible to improve t2d control by means of non- pharmacologic interventions.