Exercise and Diet Sharply Reduce Diabetes Risk

A major clinical trial comparing diet and exercise to treatment with metformin or placebo to prevent diabetes was ended a year early because the data demonstrated so clearly that diet and exercise cut the risk of type 2 diabetes by 58%. Called the Diabetes Prevention Program, the trial was funded by the U.S. Institutes of Health (NIH; www.nih.gov) and other organizations. The U.S. prevalence of type 2 diabetes has tripled in the last 30 years, and much of the increase is due to the dramatic upsurge in obesity.

The 3,234 trial participants from 27 medical centers ranged in age from 25-85, with an average age of 51. All had impaired glucose tolerance and all were overweight. The participants were placed in one of three groups: a group taking placebo, a group taking metformin, and a group who exercised 150 minutes a week and lost 5-7% of their body weight by eating a low-fat diet. About 29% of the placebo group developed diabetes during the three-year follow-up, while about 22% of people who took metformin developed the disease. In contrast, only 14% of the people who exercised and lost weight developed diabetes.

"In view of the rapidly rising rates of obesity and diabetes in America, this good news couldn't come at a better time,” said Tommy G. Thompson, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "So many of our health problems can be avoided through diet, exercise, and making sure we take care of ourselves.”




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