The Effect of Soy Flour Intake on Systemic Blood Pressure and Glycemic Control in Post-Menopausal Women with Pre-diabetes and Prehypertension

Metabolic syndrome has a high prevalence & fast growing trend of cardiovascular risk factor in post-menopausal women and the prehypertension and pre-diabetes are the predictors of heart disease. In the treatment of metabolic syndrome, dietary management is one of the therapeutic approaches for the control of metabolic risk factors. In few studies the use of the soy has shown the effective results in controlling the systemic blood pressure & glycemic changes in post-menopausal women. However, the data’s are contradictory. Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of soy flour diet on systemic blood pressure & glycemic control, of the post-menopausal women with pre-diabetes and prehypertension. The objective of this study is to assess and compare the effect of soy flour diet with different quantity on glycemic control and systemic blood pressure. Methods: In this 3*3 completely randomized repeated measures design study, 75 subjects were randomly divided into three groups: study group I (n = 25), study group II (n=25) and control (n = 25). The subjects in the study group I & II were received 25 g/day and 45 g/day of soy flour respectively in the form of dosa and in control group, the subjects were received wheat flour 52g/day in the form of dosa for 12 weeks. The dosage of the diet received by subjects had not been exchanged during the study period. Before, 6 weeks and 12 weeks of the intervention, serum fasting glucose, fasting insulin, insulin resistance and systolic and diastolic blood pressure, were measured in the subjects. Insulin-resistance was calculated by using HOMA-IR formula. Results: There was a significant difference across the 3 time points and significant differences between control and study groups by lowered FPG, fasting insulin, insulin-resistance, diastolic blood pressure, but not had any significant different in time within group & between the three groups in reducing systolic blood pressure. Moreover, the study groups I & II is more effective in controlling diastolic blood pressure and glycemic changes. Conclusion: Soy flour diet intake in post Menopause with prediabetes and pre-hypertension can lead an effect in glycemic control, insulin-resistance and diastolic blood pressure, but not had any significant effect in reducing systolic blood pressure.