Wine and Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes

Background: Consumption of moderate amounts of alcohol in type 2 diabetes is usually discouraged due to the burden it puts on blood sugar control and, especially, the increased risk of hypoglycaemia. This thesis was recently put to the test on type 2 diabetic outpatients. Method: In a monocentric, explorative, non-controlled pilot study, 80 adult male type 2 diabetics aged from 41 to 82 (mean age 64) were given red wine in addition to their therapy. After a two-week run-in phase, the participants consumed 300 ml of red wine daily for six weeks. Results: Seventy-six participants finished the study. In general, the daily consumption of the red wine produced no relevant changes in the blood picture. The mean fasting blood sugar levels rose marginally from 166.5 mg/dl to 170.5 mg/dl (p = 0.58), and the fructosamine values rose from 271.5 mu mol/l to 273.3 mu mol/l (p = 0.14). Several cardiovascular parameters, however, were significantly affected. HDL cholesterol rose an average of 5.3 % (p < 0.001), fibrinogen dropped an average of 5.4% (p = 0.01), and LDL cholesterol dropped an average of 1.4% (p = 0.05). Finally, uric acid levels were found to rise an average of 3.6% (p = 0.03). Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the moderate consumption of red wine in male type 2 diabetics on top of their basic treatment does not affect the blood picture to any significant degree, and is not associated with undesirable side effects.