Ketogenic diet in adults with metabolic syndrome or cardiometabolic risk: structured review and considerations for community pharmacy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60103/phc.v28.e941Keywords:
Diet Ketogenic, Metabolic Syndrome, Community Pharmacy Services, Patient Education as Topic, Cardiovascular DiseasesAbstract
Objective: to synthesize the available clinical evidence on ketogenic diets and other very low-carbohydrate interventions in adults with metabolic syndrome or closely related cardiometabolic disorders, and to assess their practical utility in community pharmacy.
Method: structured bibliographic review with narrative synthesis. PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched on 13 and 15 October 2026, respectively, with a ten-year limit and selection of publications in Spanish and English. After duplicate removal, titles and abstracts were screened and full texts were assessed. Reviews and guidelines were used as complementary sources.
Results: 336 records were identified and nine intervention studies were included. Improvements were observed in weight, central adiposity, triglycerides, and glycemic control, with heterogeneity in LDL cholesterol response, interventions, and follow-up. Adherence and concomitant treatment influenced applicability. Community pharmacy can contribute to screening, health education, monitoring, and referral.
Conclusions: the ketogenic diet may be considered for selected patients, but it should not be viewed as a universal strategy for metabolic syndrome. Its use should be individualized, embedded in a high-quality dietary plan, and accompanied by clinical and pharmacotherapeutic monitoring, particularly in patients with dyslipidemia, treated diabetes, or hypertension.
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