Work

Effects of mobile application-based dietary recommendations on patients aged 50 and older with type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hypertension in Gwangju, South Korea: a pilot trial

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Interest in health improvement through mobile application (app)-based dietary interventions is increasing, and related research is on the rise.Mobile app usage as a means of dietary intervention is currently underwhelming.Therefore, this study aimed to provide dietary recommendations to patients through a mobile app and analyze the impact of their consumption on the improvement of health indicators. SUBJECTS/METHODS:This pilot intervention study evaluated the changes in disease-related indicator levels following a 2-week dietary intervention in patients (n = 15; mean age = 71 yrs) with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and obesity from January to February 2024 at Chonnam National University in Korea.We calculated participants' daily caloric requirements based on the information they had entered into the mobile application and also provided diseasespecific dietary recommendations.Moreover, we measured their body characteristics and collected blood samples before and after the intervention to analyze changes in diseaserelated biomarkers and metabolites.RESULTS: The body mass index (P = 0.028), systolic blood pressure (P = 0.038), and grip strength (left) (P = 0.009) values of 14 participants significantly improved following the dietary intervention.Additionally, their fasting blood glucose, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, malondialdehyde, adiponectin, and leptin levels also improved.In the serum metabolite analysis, participants with hypertension exhibited a significant decrease in circulating lactate (P = 0.03) and trimethylamine N-oxide (P = 0.06) levels after following the mobile app-based dietary recommendations.CONCLUSION: Although a pilot, this mobile app-based dietary intervention yielded marked improvements across several disease indicators, suggesting that its advancement may help prevent and manage chronic diseases.

Source: Nutrition Research and Practice

DOI: 10.4162/nrp.2025.19.5.742