Is there a need for dietary measures to further reduce LDL cholesterol in patients with type II diabetes mellitus on statin therapy?

PurposeTo study the need for dietary measures to further reduce LDL cholesterol in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus on statin therapy.MethodsA Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL and Cochrane library search was performed to identify relevant articles. After critical appraisal six articles were ranked according to relevance, validation and level of evidence.ResultsThere were no studies performed among type II diabetics. Among patients with hypercholesterolaemia, diet led to an additional LDL reduction from 0.20 to 0.88 mmol/l, translating into 23% reduction in vascular risk.ConclusionWe recommend a low-fat diet on top of statin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus assuming that effects found in hypercholesterolaemic patients also apply to type 2 diabetics.