TY - JOUR
T1 - Associations of low-carb diets with glycaemic control and diabetic complications among adult Ghanaians
T2 - the RODAM study
AU - Osei, Tracy B
AU - Osei-Kwasi, Hibbah
AU - Nicolaou, Mary
AU - Beune, Erik
AU - Agyemang, Charles
AU - Meeks, Karlijn A C
AU - Bahendeka, Silver
AU - Schulze, Matthias B
AU - Klipstein-Grobusch, Kerstin
AU - Addo, Juliet
AU - Hayfron-Benjamin, Charles F
AU - Danquah, Ina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.
PY - 2025/6/7
Y1 - 2025/6/7
N2 - PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the associations of low-carb diets with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and diabetes complications among Ghanaian adults, who traditionally rely on carbohydrate-dense diets and experience a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM).METHODS: This analysis used baseline data of the multi-centre RODAM (Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants) Study among Ghanaian adults (N = 5,898; 18-96 years) living in Ghana and Europe. Energy (kcal/d) and macronutrient intakes (energy%) were computed from the semi-quantitative Ghana Food Propensity Questionnaire. A low-carb diet score (0-30 points) was calculated as the sum of 0-10 points for 11 strata of carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes, respectively. For the associations with ln-transformed HbA1c, we calculated multiple-adjusted beta coefficients, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and p-values by linear regressions and stratified by T2DM status. Among participants with T2DM, multiple-adjusted odds ratios (OR), 95% CIs, and p-values were computed by logistic regression for the associations of the low-carb diet score with microvascular and macrovascular complications.RESULTS: Neither macronutrient intakes nor the low-carb diet score were associated with ln (HbA1c) among individuals with T2DM. Among individuals without T2DM, the corresponding associations were statistically significant with marginal beta coefficients between|0.01| and|0.04|. Regarding diabetes complications, we observed an inverse association of the low-carb diet score with self-reported stroke (adjusted OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.91, 0.99).CONCLUSION: Using a low-carb diet score, our results from this Ghanaian study population do neither support the hypothesis that low-carb diets improve blood glucose control, nor that low-carb diets are associated with diabetes complications.
AB - PURPOSE: We aimed to determine the associations of low-carb diets with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and diabetes complications among Ghanaian adults, who traditionally rely on carbohydrate-dense diets and experience a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM).METHODS: This analysis used baseline data of the multi-centre RODAM (Research on Obesity and Diabetes among African Migrants) Study among Ghanaian adults (N = 5,898; 18-96 years) living in Ghana and Europe. Energy (kcal/d) and macronutrient intakes (energy%) were computed from the semi-quantitative Ghana Food Propensity Questionnaire. A low-carb diet score (0-30 points) was calculated as the sum of 0-10 points for 11 strata of carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes, respectively. For the associations with ln-transformed HbA1c, we calculated multiple-adjusted beta coefficients, 95% confidence intervals (CIs), and p-values by linear regressions and stratified by T2DM status. Among participants with T2DM, multiple-adjusted odds ratios (OR), 95% CIs, and p-values were computed by logistic regression for the associations of the low-carb diet score with microvascular and macrovascular complications.RESULTS: Neither macronutrient intakes nor the low-carb diet score were associated with ln (HbA1c) among individuals with T2DM. Among individuals without T2DM, the corresponding associations were statistically significant with marginal beta coefficients between|0.01| and|0.04|. Regarding diabetes complications, we observed an inverse association of the low-carb diet score with self-reported stroke (adjusted OR: 0.95; 95% CI: 0.91, 0.99).CONCLUSION: Using a low-carb diet score, our results from this Ghanaian study population do neither support the hypothesis that low-carb diets improve blood glucose control, nor that low-carb diets are associated with diabetes complications.
KW - Adolescent
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Cross-Sectional Studies
KW - Diabetes Complications/epidemiology
KW - Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/epidemiology
KW - Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted/methods
KW - Female
KW - Ghana/epidemiology
KW - Glycated Hemoglobin/analysis
KW - Glycemic Control/methods
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Young Adult
U2 - 10.1007/s00394-025-03729-3
DO - 10.1007/s00394-025-03729-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 40481960
SN - 1436-6207
VL - 64
JO - European Journal of Nutrition
JF - European Journal of Nutrition
IS - 5
M1 - 207
ER -