Effects of Astaxanthin Supplementation on Glycemic Control and Lipid Profile in Patients With Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the major chronic diseases, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. Oxidative stress has a crucial role in T2DM development. Astaxanthin is a carotenoid compound that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-diabetic effects. The current meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the available evidence and provide an accurate estimate of the overall effects of astaxanthin supplementation in patients with prediabetes and T2DM. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were searched using relevant keywords and MeSH terms until January 2025. A meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model and STATA 17 software. In addition, the included studies' quality and the evidence's overall strength were assessed using the Cochrane and GRADE tools, respectively. In total, 9 randomized controlled trials, including 403 patients with prediabetes and T2DM, were included in this review. The findings showed that astaxanthin supplementation significantly reduced serum levels of fasting blood sugar (WMD: -16.126 mg/dl (95%CI: -28.968 to -3.285), <i>P</i> = .014), glycated hemoglobin (WMD: -0.338 (95%CI: -0.598 to -0.079), <i>P</i> = .011), triglyceride (WMD: -20.872 mg/dl, (95%CI: -38.205 to 3.540), <i>P</i> = .018), total cholesterol (WMD: -12.174 mg/dl, (95% CI:-19.839 to -4.509), <i>P</i> = .002), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (WMD: -9.409 mg/dl (95% CI: -15.287 to -3.531), <i>P</i> = .002) and increased serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (WMD: 3.021 mg/dl, (95%CI: 2.000-4.042) compared to the control group. However, astaxanthin administration had no significant effect on HOMA-IR, body weight, and body mass index of patients. The findings indicate the beneficial effects of astaxanthin supplementation on improving glycemic indices and lipid profiles in patients with prediabetes and T2DM. The non-significant effects of astaxanthin on weight and body mass index warrant high-quality research to confirm these findings and clarify the effects of astaxanthin in patients with prediabetes and T2DM.