Diet therapy with diacylglycerol oil delays the progression of renal failure in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy.

D iet therapy for diabetic nephropathy is important in preventing the progression of renal failure by controlling hyperglycemia, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and obesity (1,2). Edible oil containing mainly diacylglycerol (DAG) oil, compared with conventional triacylglycerol oil, has been reported to possess unique nutritional properties with respect to serum lipids and body fat metabolism (3–6). We previously reported that a 3-month intake of DAG oil significantly reduced fasting serum triglycerides in subjects of type 2 diabetes with hypertriglyceridemia (7). In the present study, we conducted a further clinical study for 6 months with an additional 3-year follow-up period to investigate the long-term effects of DAG oil in dietary therapy in subjects with type 2 diabetes with nephropathy.