2.1. Participants
celiac disease, dysphagia, T2D, esophageal problems, inflammatory bowel disease, End-stage kidney failure, autoimmune disorders, cancer, Alzheimer’s and motor neuron diseases, stroke, systemic lupus erythematosus, throat, Diabetes, Parkinson’s, type 2 diabetes, diabetes
DYSPHAGIA, HEPATIC INSUFFICIENCY, AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS, CANCER, SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS, MALABSORPTION SYNDROME, CYSTIC FIBROSIS, BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH, SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS, SHORT BOWEL SYNDROME, CHRONIC PANCREATITIS, STROKE, TYPE 1 DIABETES, PARASITIC INFECTION, DIABETES, TYPE 2 DIABETES, DISEASES, DIABETES
The study enrolled adult individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who received care at the outpatient Diabetes Center of Laiko General Hospital in Athens, Greece. Participants met the study’s inclusion and exclusion criteria and willingly agreed to take part. The inclusion criteria were as follows:A diagnosis of T2D (based on the American Diabetes Association criteria [Age above 18 years.A body-mass index (BMI) greater than 18.5 kg/mHbA1c levels exceeding 6%.Stable use of antidiabetic medications (oral or injectable GLP-1 RAs) for at least 8 weeks before screening.The exclusion criteria were as follows:Type 1 diabetes or other forms of diabetes.Pregnancy or plans to become pregnant during the study.End-stage kidney failure requiring dialysis, or presence of other severe diseases such as cancer or significant hepatic insufficiency (AST/ALT levels more than 3.5 times above normal).Recent use of other probiotic products or antibiotics within the previous 6 months.Participation in other ongoing clinical trials.Presence of any other medical condition that, in the opinion of the investigators, could hinder compliance with the study protocol, such as malabsorption syndrome (for example celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, short bowel syndrome, bacterial overgrowth, parasitic infections, bariatric surgery, autoimmune disorders like systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis, etc.), or an inability to take orally administered medications (due, for example, to dysphagia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and motor neuron diseases, throat or esophageal problems, stroke, and other neurological conditions).Administration of insulin. The decision to exclude patients on insulin was based on previous studies showing a more substantial reduction in HbA1c with probiotics in participants not receiving insulin compared to those on insulin therapy [Sample size calculation was created considering 80% power at α = 0.05 to detect a decrease in HbA1c of at least 0.3 percentage points. Based on this, we calculated that we would need to recruit at least 88 individuals for the study. All participants were given verbal and written information about the study and signed an informed consent form, according to the recommendations of the Declaration of Helsinki [