The effect of a siamese pumpkin and tuna-based powder (CHAGURO) diet in improving chol/HDL ratios in prediabetes individuals with dyslipidemia: a randomised trial [version 3; peer review: 1 approved]

Background: The study aimed to examine the effect of administering CHAGURO (a product of the combination of siamese pumpkin and tuna-based powder) on the lipid profile in prediabetes individuals with dyslipidemia. Methods: The experimental trial was conducted with two intervention groups, with each group receiving a dose of 7.5g/70kg body weight (BW)/day (low dose) and 15g/70kg BW/day (high dose) for 60 days. Respondents in each group ranged in age from 30 to 60 years old. Prediabetes was defined as fasting blood sugar levels of 100-125 mg/dL, while cholesterol levels of 200 mg/dL was considered dyslipidemia. The mean baseline HbA1c level for all subjects was 5.5%. Respondents were randomized into intervention groups using simple randomization. Pre-test and post-test measurements were performed for body mass index (BMI), physical activity (using IPAQ-SF), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), lipid profile, blood pressure, and food intake (using SQ-FFQ). Statistical analyses performed included descriptive tests, independent and paired T-tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: Compared to the baseline, HbA1c, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides in the two groups did not improve significantly by 60 days. For lipid variables, a significant improvement in the cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein (chol/HDL) ratios were observed when compared against the baseline for the two groups. When comparing the changes between groups, 7.5 g of CHAGURO showed a larger improvement in HDL-C (mean differences: 1.86 mg/dL; 95% CI: -0.86-4.59), compared to 15 g of CHAGURO (mean differences: -3.62 mg/dL; 95% CI: -7.53-0.28). A significant (p