The Association between Adherence to Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Nephropathy in Long-Duration Type 1 Diabetes

Vascular complications contribute to the high morbidity and mortality in type 1 diabetes (T1D), necessitating a search for new therapeutic measures. The Alternative Mediterranean diet score (aMED), high in vegetable, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and low in red and processed meat and uses olive oil as the main fat source, has been shown to improve glycemic control and reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in type 2 diabetes, but has not been examined for relationships to vascular complications in T1D. We examined the cross-sectional relationships between aMed adherence and vascular complications among 645 individuals of the Joslin 50-year Medalist study having T1D > 50 years and food frequency histories captured. In multivariable logistic regression models adjusting for age and sex, a higher adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 17% reduced odds of diabetic nephropathy (DN, eGFR <60 ml/min/1.73m2) [OR 0.83, 95% Cl 0.72-0.95, p=0.008], and this remained significant (p<0.05) after further adjustments for HbA1c, diabetes duration, lipids and blood pressure. There were no significant associations between aMed and CVD, diabetic retinopathy or neuropathy. Among the specific aMED components, higher intake of nuts, higher ratio of monounsaturated fat to saturated fat and lower intake of red and processed meats were all associated with significantly (p<0.05) reduced odds of DN. Triglycerides, HDL and albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) were significant effect modifiers (p for interaction <0.05) such that, more DN-protective effects of aMed were observed among those with higher triglycerides, lower HDL, and higher ACR. To conclude, our findings suggest that greater adherence to a Mediterranean diet in individuals with long duration T1D is associated with lower risk of DN, independent of traditional risk factors. Further studies are warranted to validate its potential as an effective therapeutic approach against DN in people with T1D. Disclosure A.Hayes: None. G.L.King: Research Support; Janssen Research & Development, LLC. H.Shah: None. S.Jangolla: None. J.Gauthier: None. N.A.Ziemniak: None. I.Wu: None. K.Lau: None. A.Adam: None. F.Hu: None. F.K.Tabung: None. Funding Nunnally Foundation Inc.; Thomas J. Beatson, Jr. Foundation