The effects of probiotic supplementation on metabolic status in type 2 diabetic patients with coronary heart disease

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplementation on metabolic profiles in diabetic patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was performed among 60 diabetic patients with CHD, aged 40–85 years at a cardiology clinic in Kashan, Iran, from October 2017 through January 2018. Patients were randomly divided into two groups to take either probiotic supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at the beginning of the study and after the 12-week intervention to determine related markers.

After 12-week intervention, probiotic supplementation significantly decreased fasting plasma glucose (β − 20.02 mg/dL; 95% CI − 33.86, − 6.17; P = 0.005), insulin (β − 2.09 µIU/mL; 95% CI − 3.77, − 0.41; P = 0.01), insulin resistance (β − 0.50; 95% CI − 0.96, − 0.03; P = 0.03) and total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio (β − 0.27; 95% CI − 0.52, − 0.03; P = 0.02), and significantly increased insulin sensitivity (β 0.008; 95% CI 0.001, 0.01; P = 0.02) and HDL-cholesterol levels (β 2.52 mg/dL; 95% CI 0.04, 5.00; P = 0.04) compared with the placebo. Moreover, probiotic supplementation led to a significant reduction in serum high sensitivity C-reactive protein (β − 0.88 mg/L; 95% CI − 1.39, − 0.38; P = 0.001), and a significant elevation in total antioxidant capacity (β 108.44 mmol/L; 95% CI 47.61, 169.27; P = 0.001) and total glutathione levels (β 45.15 µmol/L; 95% CI 5.82, 84.47; P = 0.02) compared with the placebo. Probiotic supplementation did not affect other metabolic profiles.

Overall, we found that probiotic supplementation for 12 weeks had beneficial effects on glycemic control, HDL-cholesterol, total-/HDL-cholesterol ratio, biomarkers of inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetic patients with CHD.

Trial registration Clinical trial registration number http://​www.​irct.​ir: IRCT2017082733941N5