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Lifestyle changes may be the best way to prevent diabetes
2 November 2009
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Leading a healthy lifestyle can be more effective than taking the medicine metformin in preventing diabetes, according to a 10-year study.
Doing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days and a eating a healthy balanced diet can significantly reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
US scientists followed up nearly 3,000 people at high risk of diabetes who had taken part in a three-year diabetes prevention study.
Participants, who were all overweight and had high blood sugar levels, were originally split into three groups. The first group followed a diet and exercise programme, which helped them to lose weight. The second group took metformin, a drug used to control blood sugar levels, and the third group took a dummy pill (a placebo).
The original study found that lifestyle changes were most effective at preventing diabetes. The rate of diabetes was reduced by 58 percent in the group who followed the diet and exercise programme and 31 percent in the group who took metformin, compared with the group who took the placebo. The scientists wanted to find out whether these effects lasted in the longer term.
Researchers followed some of the original study participants for about seven years. They found that over the entire 10-year study period, lifestyle changes had the most benefit. The rate of diabetes was reduced by 34 percent in the lifestyle group and by 18 percent in the metformin group, compared with the placebo group. The benefits of lifestyle changes were greatest in older people, aged between 60 and 85.
Dr Paula Franklin director of healthcare development at Bupa, commented:
"Type 2 diabetes is a preventable disease. This study shows that lifestyle changes can be very effective at preventing diabetes long-term. Doing 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most days and a eating a healthy balanced diet can significantly reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes."
Key facts
- Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which your body is unable to regulate the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood properly.
- Type 2 diabetes develops when your body doesn't respond to the natural hormone insulin, usually as a result of you being overweight.
- Many people with type 2 diabetes have no symptoms. If you do have symptoms, they might include excessive passing of urine, constant thirst, tiredness, blurred vision, itchy skin around your genitals or frequent infections, such as thrush. Your symptoms may be very mild and can go unnoticed for years.
Read the study
Diabetes prevention programme research group. 10-year follow-up of diabetes incidence and weight loss in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study. The Lancet, Early Online Publication, 29 October 2009. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)61457-4