Prevention

 

Losing weight—at least 5 to 10 percent of your starting weight—can prevent or delay diabetes or even reverse prediabetes. That’s 10 to 20 pounds for someone who weighs 200 pounds. You can lose weight by cutting down on the amount of calories and fat you consume and being physically active at least 30 minutes a day. Physical activity also helps make your body’s insulin work better.

Ask your doctor if you should also take medicine to help control the amount of glucose in your blood.

The National Diabetes Education Program’s “Small Steps. Big Rewards. Prevent type 2 Diabetes” campaign has more information about preventing diabetes.

Latest Prediabetes News
Pre-diabetes linked to heart disease

March 13, 2009 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood sugar levels are occasionally abnormal, is associated with a number of metabolic changes that can promote heart disease and stroke, according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Metformin may delay diabetes onset in those at risk

March 24, 2008 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In people who are at risk of developing diabetes, treatment with metformin leads to modest improvements in weight, lipid (fat) profiles and fasting blood sugar. In addition, substantial reductions in insulin resistance, a condition that usually precedes diabetes, are seen, as well as the actual development of diabetes, according to a large review of published studies on this topic.

Offspring of diabetic parents more aware of risk

December 10, 2007 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adult offspring of people with type 2 diabetes are more aware than their parents that they face an increased risk of developing the disease, according to a new study from Japan.

Select news items provided by Reuters Health
Risk & Prevention