DIABETES NUTRITION AND COMPLICATIONS TRIAL (DNCT) - FOOD-INTAKE AND TARGETS OF DIABETES TREATMENT IN A SAMPLE OF SPANISH PEOPLE WITH DIABETES

OBJECTIVE -- To know the nutritional pattern of people with diabetes i n Spain and that pattern's relationship with targets of metabolic cont rol. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS -- The Diabetes Nutrition and Complic ations Trial (DNCT) is a prospective multicenter study designed to det ermine the nutritional behavior of diabetic patients in Spain using 7- day food diaries. A total of 337 diabetic patients, 144 (70 men and 74 women) with type I and 193 (81 men and 112 women) with type II diabet es, satisfactorily completed the 7-day food diaries from May 1993 to D ecember 1994. RESULTS -- The median energy intake of the Spanish diabe tic subjects was between 1,453 and 2.217 kcal/day (6.1-9.3 MJ/day), di stributed as follows: 38-40% from carbohydrate, 19-23% from protein. a nd 36-41.5% from fat (11.1-13.9% saturated Fatty acids, 4.6-5.8%; poly unsaturated fatty acids, and 19.7-21.9% monounsaturated fatty acids). Of the subjects, 69% had a cholesterol level <5.6 mmol, 97% had an HDL cholesterol level >0.9 mmol, and 85% had a triglyceride level <1.7 mm ol, while <36%; had an HbA(1c) value >8%. CONCLUSIONS -- People with d iabetes in Spain have near-optimal serum lipid levels els and maintain reasonably good blood glucose control and BMI, suggesting that diabet es management that includes the usual Spanish diet, which is low in ca rbohydrates and high in fat, especially monounsaturated fat, might be adequate.