Reducing Diabetes Risk

The decrease in physical activity and increase in obesity of western societies are strongly linked with the increase in the prevalence and incidence in type 2 diabetes.  People with impaired glucose tolerance have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.  Various treatment methods have been utilized in research, including medications, lifestyle and herbal remedies.

The British Medical Journal published a recent meta-analysis, which consolidated the evidence from 17 clinical trails which studied the effects of lifestyle, drugs and other medication on both men and women with impaired glucose tolerance.  The results showed that lifestyle change intervention can be as effective as drug therapy in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes in high risk people.  Individuals who received standard advice only, showed effects of lifestyle changes which resulted in a 49 percent reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.  Exercise alone or combined with a healthier diet was more effective than diet alone.  Oral diabetic medications were also effective in delaying or preventing diabetes, but were not as effective as lifestyle changes.  Orlistat, which is an anti-obesity drug, was effective in reducing risk when compared to control groups.

Although both medications and lifestyle changes were effective in reducing the risk of diabetes, diet and exercise were associated with considerably fewer adverse effects than those caused by medication, which were typically gastroentestinal and reduced liver function.  Since this is fundamentally a lifestyle issue, compliance is generally the key with lifestyle interventions.

Helen Powell