Effects of fenugreek seed powder on stress-induced hyperglycemia and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients: A randomized clinical trial

Abstract

Introduction: Stress-induced hyperglycemia (SIH) is commonly observed in critically ill patients and associated with poor clinical outcome for patients. Fenugreek seed powder has long been known as an anti-diabetic drug since its pharmaceutical properties were demonstrated. Materials: The study herein was a parallel, randomized controlled clinical trial consisting of 60 adult patients randomly divided into 2 groups (n=30 per group). The study was conducted in Sabzevar, Iran in April 2015. The intervention group received 3 g of fenugreek seed powder by gavage, twice a day, in addition to routine care. The control group received only routine care. In the beginning, a daily evaluation of fasting and postprandial blood sugar was conducted for 10 days. Secondary components (prevalence of pneumonia; length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay, length of hospital stay, ventilator days, APACHE II score, and mortality rate) were measured until the time of hospital discharge or death. Data were analyzed via SPSS v.20 using Student's t-test (paired and unpaired), chi-square test, repeated measure ANOVA, and Wilcoxon test. Results: In during 10 days of treatment, there was a significant fall in mean glucose levels in 2 groups. However, this improve was more significant in Intervention group in compared to control group (p<0.001). Conclusion: The present study suggests that daily diet with fenugreek seeds can be used as an add-on therapy with other medications in the management of SIH in critically ill patients.