Delaying diabetes by 4 years reduces risk of death and complications, study says

Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of disability and fatal complications, including heart attacks and strokes. People with prediabetes can significantly lower their risk of death and complications by delaying the onset of diabetes by four years, according to a recent study.

Based on the findings of the latest testA research team led by Dr. Guangwei Li from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital in Da Qing City, China, suggests that people with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) should consider making lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise to effectively delay the onset of diabetes.

“In this study, we observed that maintaining a diabetes-free status for several years after the diagnosis of IGT was associated with a significant reduction in the long-term risk of death and vascular complications, and for most of these outcomes, maintaining a diabetes-free status for at least 4 years may be necessary to achieve a significant reduction in risk,” the researchers wrote in test published in the journal Plos Medicine.

The researchers looked at 540 people with prediabetes who had participated in the original Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study, a six-year study conducted in the city of Da Qing in China. During the study, participants were divided into four groups: one focused on maintaining a fit diet, another on increasing physical activity, a third that combined both approaches, and a control group.

Over a 30-year follow-up period, researchers found that people who were able to delay the onset of diabetes for at least four years after their initial diagnosis of prediabetes had a significantly lower risk of death or cardiovascular events such as heart attacks or strokes.

However, in people whose diabetes developed fully in less than four years, according to the researchers, no such protective effect was observed.

“This study suggests that a longer period of diabetes-free status in individuals with IGT has beneficial health outcomes and reduces mortality. Implementation of effective interventions targeting individuals with IGT should be considered as part of the preventive treatment of diabetes and diabetes-related vascular complications,” the researchers concluded.

The researchers cautioned, however, that the study has some limitations, including a diminutive group of participants and focusing only on people of Chinese descent.