Systematic Reviews
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Aug 15, 2025; 16(8): 104371
Published online Aug 15, 2025. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v16.i8.104371
Mapping evidence and identifying risks: A systematic scoping review of meal replacements in type 2 diabetes
Leong Chen Lew, Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin, Zahara Abdul Manaf, Noorlaili Mohd Tohit, Suzana Shahar
Leong Chen Lew, Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin, Zahara Abdul Manaf, Suzana Shahar, Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Leong Chen Lew, Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin, Biomedical Science Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Zahara Abdul Manaf, Suzana Shahar, Dietetic Programme, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Noorlaili Mohd Tohit, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Cheras 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Author contributions: Mat Ludin AF and Lew LC conceived the review; Shahar S, Abdul Manaf Z and Mohd Tohit N contributed to framing the topic and keywords and clarifying inclusion and exclusion criteria for the systematic database search; Mat Ludin AF and Lew LC conducted the literature searches in parallel; Mat Ludin AF and Lew LC screened and extracted the titles and full texts in consultation with Shahar S, Abdul Manaf Z, Mohd Tohit N; Shahar S, Abdul Manaf Z and Mohd Tohit N checked the extracted data for accuracy; All researchers discussed any discrepancies and all authors contributed to collating and interpreting of findings, prepared the draft and approved the final version for submission.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests to disclose.
PRISMA 2009 Checklist statement: The authors have read the PRISMA 2009 Checklist, and the manuscript was prepared and revised according to the PRISMA 2009 Checklist.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Arimi Fitri Mat Ludin, PhD, Associate Professor, Centre for Healthy Ageing and Wellness, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. arimifitri@ukm.edu.my
Received: December 19, 2024
Revised: April 8, 2025
Accepted: July 10, 2025
Published online: August 15, 2025
Processing time: 239 Days and 2.8 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: This scoping review systematically evaluated meal replacement interventions in type 2 diabetes, focusing on their effects on glycemic and weight management, as well as associated risks. Key findings included significant improvements in hemoglobin A1c and body mass index after meal replacement interventions, with notable efficacy when combined with lifestyle programs. Most reported adverse events were mild. The review categorized existing studies by meal replacement type and dosage, providing comprehensive insights for tailoring interventions in clinical practice. These results emphasize meal replacements as a promising tool in diabetes management, with implications for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare burdens.