Three years post-intervention, diabetes incidence remained lower among intervention recipients.
Lifestyle interventions can prevent or postpone the onset of type 2 diabetes in people at risk, but do these effects persist after the intervention is discontinued?
In the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study, 522 overweight, middle-aged patients with impaired glucose tolerance were randomized to enter an intensive, individualized program (encouraging dietary modification, exercise, and weight control) or a control program consisting of general health behavior education. The intensive program included regular individual counseling with a nutritionist and free, individually supervised exercise sessions. After a median of 4 years, the incidence of type 2 diabetes was 58% lower in the intensive-program group (Journal Watch May 8 2001).
Now the authors report on 3 years of post-intervention follow-up. Among patients who had not developed diabetes during the intervention period, the incidence of diabetes was 36% lower in the intensive-intervention group than in the control group. For at least the first year of extended follow-up, patients in the intensive-intervention group were more successful than control patients at adhering to goals for weight control, physical activity, and dietary intake; the post-intervention incidence of diabetes was significantly lower in patients who continued to meet these goals.
Comment: Intensive lifestyle interventions are effective, but they are costly and not always embraced eagerly by the public. However, diabetes is enormously costly, in dollars and in human misery. This study shows that time-limited lifestyle interventions may have long-term benefits, which should spur their availability.
— Bruce Soloway, MD
Published in Journal Watch General Medicine December 12, 2006
Citation(s):
Lindström J et al. Sustained reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle intervention: Follow-up of the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. Lancet 2006 Nov 11; 368:1673-9.