Curcumin and heart risk in people with type 2 diabetes
What it found
In 72 people with type 2 diabetes, taking curcumin for 14 weeks lowered blood pressure, LDL cholesterol and some inflammation and oxidative stress markers, and improved heart risk classification.
It made no difference to blood sugar control, total cholesterol or triglycerides.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood pressure
At the end of the study, systolic blood pressure averaged 134.9 in the curcumin group versus 145.4 in controls, and diastolic blood pressure averaged 70.8 versus 78.9. The curcumin group also saw significant drops in both measures compared with their own starting values.
Heart risk classification
The curcumin group shifted to lower ASCVD risk classes: the high-risk share fell from 33.3% to 13.9%, and a low-risk group appeared at 22.2% where there had been none at the start. The control group showed hardly any shift.
Cholesterol and blood fats
LDL cholesterol fell and HDL cholesterol rose in the curcumin group compared with controls. Total cholesterol dropped in both groups, more so with curcumin, but triglycerides showed no significant difference between groups.
Blood sugar control
There were no significant differences between groups in HbA1c or fasting blood glucose. The authors note this may be due to differences in dose, study length and how severe the participants' blood sugar problems were.
Inflammation and oxidative stress
TNF-alpha, a marker of inflammation, fell significantly in the curcumin group and was lower than in controls at the end. MDA, a marker of oxidative stress, also fell over time within the curcumin group.
Side effects
Reported side effects in the curcumin group were nausea (13.9%), headache (11.1%), yellow stool (11.1%) and diarrhea (5.6%). These were not statistically different from the control group, and none required stopping the supplement.
What the authors conclude
“It is concluded that Curcumin improves ASCVD risk classification, lowers SBP, DBP, LDL-C, TNF-alpha, and MDA, increases HDL-C, and is well tolerated with minor adverse effects, without impacting on BMI, HR, HbA1c, FBG, TC, or TG.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that curcumin improves ASCVD risk classification, lowers SBP, DBP, LDL-C, TNF-alpha, and MDA, increases HDL-C, and is well tolerated with minor adverse effects, without impacting on BMI, HR, HbA1c, FBG, TC, or TG.
- They advocate for future research to extend to a longer duration, as this may elicit more pronounced beneficial effects or long-term consequences of curcumin.
- They state that future studies with larger sample size, longer duration and better control of lifestyle variables are warranted to confirm these results.
How it was done
The authors wanted to test curcumin as an add-on treatment for people with type 2 diabetes at risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, since existing studies on its effects on blood pressure and other risk factors had given conflicting results.
They randomly assigned 72 patients aged 50 to 74 with type 2 diabetes and a 10-year ASCVD risk score of at least 5% to either 500 mg curcumin three times daily plus their usual therapy, or usual therapy alone, for 14 weeks. Blood pressure, blood fats, blood sugar, inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, and ASCVD risk scores were measured before and after.
What it can’t tell you
- The study was relatively small, with 72 patients, which may limit how well the results apply to other people.
- The follow-up was only 14 weeks, so the long-term effects of curcumin remain unknown.
- Lifestyle factors such as physical activity and diet were not formally assessed during the study, and these can influence lipid profile and cardiovascular risk.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
- Authors work at
- October 6 University, Egypt; Ain Shams University, Egypt; National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology, Egypt
The paper
- Title
- Curcumin supplementation improves the clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- El-Rakabawy OM, Elkholy AA, Mahfouz AA, Abdelsalam MM, El Wakeel LM (2025). Curcumin supplementation improves the clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes and atherosclerotic cardiovascular risk. Scientific reports. doi:10.1038/s41598-025-09783-5Free full textPubMed 40759997DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error