Exercise and moderate lifestyle adjustments are better at preventing Type 2 diabetes than taking medication, according to a recent study. Losing just a few pounds and keeping them off was two times as effective as medication, according to an article recently published by WebMD.
Researchers conducting a study of 3,000 patients at high-risk for diabetes split the patients into three groups. The first group was asked to eat a low-fat diet and do moderate exercise for at least 30 minutes five times a week. The goal was to lose 7% of their weight in a year. The second group was prescribed the common diabetes drug metformin, while the third group was given no instruction or medicine.
The first group lost an average of 15 pounds – and while many gained an average of 10 pounds back over the next seven years – the intervention appears to have worked for many. This group had the lowest rate of diabetes among the three groups.
Ten years after the study, those in the intervention group were 34% less likely to develop the disease. Those taking metformin were 18% less likely. Additionally, the intervention delayed the onset of the disease by four years, while metformin delayed it by just 2 years.
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