Diabetes is the most frequently seen chronic disease in Tibetan medical clinics (1). Ancient texts of Tibetan medicine outline the successful management of diabetes (2). However, there is a paucity of systematic research studies using modern scientific tools to evaluate the efficacy of Tibetan medicine. Therefore, we undertook a study to assess the efficacy of Tibetan medicine when combined with a diet and exercise regimen compared with a diet and exercise regimen alone in controlling the blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (GHb) in newly diagnosed or untreated type 2 diabetes.

A total of 200 newly diagnosed or untreated type 2 diabetic patients, who were eligible and consented to participate in the trial, were recruited from two branch clinics of the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute (TMAI), the Bangalore Branch Clinic in South India and the New Delhi Branch Clinic in north India, from April 1997 to April 2000. The subjects were aged 30-65 years, with a fasting venous plasma glucose (FPG) value between 140 and 250 mg/dl and a postprandial plasma glucose (PPG) value of ≥200 mg/dl. The subjects were willing to follow dietary and lifestyle guidelines. Patients who had an FPG >250 mg/dl, who had a BMI <19 kg/m², or who were insulin dependent, were not included in the study. The other criteria for exclusion were hypertension, heart disease, kidney failure, pregnancy, a period of lactation <6 months, history …