Preventing multimorbidity in adults with prediabetes
Research indicates that adults with prediabetes who adopt lifestyle changes such as calorie reduction and increased exercise experience a 21-25% decrease in the risk of multiple chronic conditions, highlighting the importance of behavioral interventions.
A more than twenty years study has connected certain lifestyle interventions with less chronic illnesses in adults with prediabetes, according to an announcement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The researchers studied more than 1,000 adults in the U.S. All were considered “high risk” for developing diabetes and received either an “intensive lifestyle intervention,” metformin, or placebo. Lifestyle intervention included multiple sessions aimed at reducing calories and fat. Participants engaged in a minimum of 150 minutes of weekly physical activity. The goal was to “achieve greater than or equal to 7% weight loss from baseline.”
While 85% of the adults still developed multiple chronic illnesses, these efforts resulted in chronic condition risk reduction. Specifically, those who went through the lifestyle intervention experienced a “21% lower risk for two chronic conditions and 25% lower risk for three chronic conditions.” Additionally, the metformin group “did not experience a statistically significant reduction in risk for multimorbidity.”
The researchers hope their findings lead to better patient outcomes.
