An Ancient Concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine Provides a Therapeutic Theory for the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

In recent decades, the incidence and prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) have increased and this has become a major threat to human health. Pre-diabetes is a period between normal glucose homeostasis and diabetes, and includes impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Intervention in pre- diabetes is a critical therapy in order to prevent T2DM. Recently, many clinicians have begun to focus on this stage of pre-diabetes. Intervention in pre-diabetes is in line with the idea of prevention of disease in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which refers to carrying out minor active therapies to reverse the progress of a disease. Hence, the ancient concept of prevention of disease in TCM could be used in the modern therapy of T2DM. More specifically, an early diagnosis should be made using modern medical methods and treatment should be started at once with modern therapeutic methods as well as complimentary therapy, such as TCM.