Research

Mixed

An intensive 6-month cardiac rehabilitation program combining a moderate-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet, exercise training, and time-restricted eating (8:16) can reverse pre-diabetes to normal glucose concentrations in patients with coronary heart disease.

If you have heart disease and pre-diabetes, a structured 6-month program can help reverse your blood sugar levels. Start with a Mediterranean-style diet (less than 40% carbs, mostly plants/fish/olive oil) and reduce ultra-processed foods. Add supervised exercise (mix of steady cardio and high-intensity intervals plus strength training) 3 times a week. After 3 months, add an 8-hour eating window (16 hours fasting) 5 days a week. Do this under medical supervision.

WeakSupportsVERY_LOW confidence
The DIABEPIC1 trial will examine the feasibility and effectiveness of an enhanced cardiac rehabilitation programme combining exercise training with an ultra-processed food reduction intervention, a Mediterranean diet, and TRE counselling to remit pre-diabetes to normal glucose concentrations.
Josep Iglésies et al. · BMJ Open · 2023

Why this rating

This is a study protocol for a feasibility trial; no outcome data or results are presented yet.

Source

Mediterranean diet and time-restricted eating as a cardiac rehabilitation approach for patients with coronary heart disease and pre-diabetes: the DIABEPIC-1 protocol of a feasibility trial

Josep Iglésies et al. · BMJ Open · 2023

DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073763

clinical_trial · n=36Cited 7×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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