Cardiovascular disease is the most prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic populations. Safe beverages of medicinal plants contribute as a strategy for the prevention and management of these complications. We investigated the effects of a drink mixture of Hibiscus sabdariffa and Stevia rebaudiana extracts on diastolic function in a group of type 2 diabetes patients.

We carried out a non-randomized open-label, one-arm clinical trial. Patients with type 2 diabetes and glycated hemoglobin<8% were included. Each participant consumed 425mL of a standardized drink every morning after breakfast over a period of 8 weeks. The effects on the E/A ratio (Mitral peak velocity of early filling E/Mitral peak velocity of last filling A) and lipid profile were determined.

We included 20 patients (13 women and 7 men) with a median age of 59 years [56–63.5] and type 2 diabetes of a duration of 8 years [3.25–11.5]. Transthoracic ultrasound at baseline showed 12 patients with diastolic dysfunction. After the 8 weeks intervention, lipid profile parameters improved significantly: triglycerides decreased by 45.58% (P=0.008), LDL-cholesterol by 21% (P=0.018) and HDL-cholesterol increased by 29.26% (P<0.001). Generally, there was an insignificant increase in E/A ratio after intervention, from 0.68 [0.55–1.00] to 0.80 [0.70–0.97], P=0.937. However, patients with diastolic dysfunction at baseline showed a significant increase in the E/A ratio from 0.60 [0.50–0.69] to 0.70 [0.60–0.95] corresponding to a variation of 16.7% (P=0.016). We did not find any significant side effects and the drink was judged to be quite palatable in 18/20 patients.

A drink associating Hibiscus sabdariffa with Stevia rebaudiana has beneficial effects on the diastolic function of type 2 diabetes patients and also on their lipid profile.