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20 RESEARCH NEWS STUDY FINDS MORE DIETARY SUPPORT NEEDED FOR DIABETICS A new study by Griffith University has found that people with type 2 diabetes may require more support to improve their diet quality, especially current smokers. The study, published in the journal Nutrition and Diabetes, is the first study to publish the diet quality changes of people with type 2 diabetes early after diagnosis. The researches interviewed 225 Australian adults newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and collected data on demographics, diet, physical activity and health. Data was collected at baseline and at three months. Participants were divided into those who improved their diet quality at three months, and those who did not. “Improving your diet quality and other lifestyle behaviours (such as exercise) is the first step in managing type 2 diabetes,” said lead researcher and PhD candidate Emily Burch from Menzies Health Institute Queensland. “Specific diets can help control type 2 diabetes, but research has shown many people with type 2 diabetes have poor quality diets, which is profoundly affecting their quality of life and risk of developing diabetes-related complications such as cardiovascular and renal disease.” Ms Burch says that when people with type 2 diabetes are first diagnosed with the condition, they often receive contradictory diet information, which can be confusing and overwhelming. “We wanted to find out whether people change their diet quality after diagnosis with type 2 diabetes and what factors, if any, are associated with improvements,” she said. “We found those who made improvements to their diet quality had poor diet quality early after diagnosis, were non-smokers, exercised regularly and had a lower body mass index (BMI).” Ms Burch adds that “strategies targeted at better supporting smokers, those with low physical activity and a higher BMI.” “This can help shape future research interventions that can better support all individuals to have long-term success in improving their diet quality and help reduce the risk of complications,” she said. For more information or to read the research, visit: nature.com/articles/s41387-020-0128-3 COMBINING MEASURES WORKS BEST AGAINST COVID-19 A computer modelling study by Dutch and Portuguese researchers has found that a combination of handwashing, mask-wearing and government-imposed social distancing measures are best in the fight against COVID-19. The new study published in PLOS Medicine by Alexandra Teslya of University Medical Centre Utrecht, in the Netherlands, and colleagues, reveals that any of the measures (individual and government-imposed) aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19 will not work as effectively if done in isolation. The researchers advise that a combination of measures is needed and is the most likely way to flatten the COVID-19 curve and keep the number of cases to a minimum. “We stress the importance of disease awareness in controlling the ongoing epidemic and recommend that, in addition to policies on social distancing, government and public health institutions mobilise people to adopt self-imposed measures with proven efficacy in order to successfully tackle COVID-19,” the authors said. According to Professor Yuming Guo of Monash University, and colleagues, the new findings are important not only in minimising initial outbreaks of COVID-19, but also in strategies to prevent second epidemics. Improving awareness of self-imposed interventions is critical to prevent wide-spreading epidemics, particularly among vulnerable community groups. “Many of the self-imposed prevention strategies have very limited impact on the economy but contribute significantly to epidemic control and are likely to play a very substantial role in control,” said Professor Guo and colleagues. HIGHER BMI LINKED TO INCREASED COVID-19 SEVERITY Obesity is a growing global health issue associated with numerous diseases and increased risk of death. Now research has found a link between obesity and increased COVID-19 severity. A study published in the European Journal of Endocrinology has found a link between a higher body mass index (BMI) and greater COVID-19 severity. Analysing the outcomes of almost 500 patients hospitalised with COVID-19, Dr Matteo Rottoli and colleagues from the Alma Mater Studiorum at the University of Bologna in Italy found that obesity was associated with significantly higher risk of severity and death from the virus. The study found that a BMI of more than 31 was associated with significantly higher risk of respiratory failure, ICU admission and death in COVID-19 patients, regardless of age, gender and other associated diseases. “Our study showed that any grade of obesity is associated with severe COVID-19 illness and suggests that people with mild obesity should also be identified as a population risk,” Dr Rottoli said. “Our hypothesis is that SARS-CoV-2 infection outcomes depend on the metabolic profile of patients and that obesity interlaced with diabetes and metabolic syndrome is involved too.” While the association between a higher BMI and severe COVID-19 illness is strong, the cause remains to be explained. An impaired immunological response to viral infections, alterations of lung function and obesity-related chronic inflammatory states have all been suggested as the link. RETAIL PHARMACY • AUG 2020