Long-Term Benefits From Lifestyle Interventions for Type 2 Diabetes Prevention

Abstract

The potential to prevent type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals by lifestyle intervention was established in several clinical trials. These studies had a strong focus on increased physical activity and dietary modification as well as weight reduction among overweight participants. The key issue seems to be a comprehensive approach to correct several risk factors simultaneously. Furthermore, long-term follow-up studies of lifestyle interventions lasting for a limited time period seem to have a long-lasting carry-over effect on risk factors and diabetes incidence (Table 1). View this table: Table 1 Long-term effectiveness of diabetes prevention trials The research evidence has inspired national and local authorities and health care providers all over the world to start programs and activities to prevent type 2 diabetes and its complications. Based on the experiences from the clinical trials, as well as from the “real world” implementation programs, the IMAGE (Development and Implementation of a European Guideline and Training Standards for Diabetes Prevention) Study Group collated information in a systematic manner. The IMAGE deliverables include a European evidence-based guideline for the prevention of type 2 diabetes, a toolkit for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Europe, and the quality indicators for the prevention of type 2 diabetes in Europe. What is needed now is political support to develop national action plans for diabetes prevention. The prerequisites for successful prevention activities include involvement of a number of stakeholders on the governmental and nongovernmental level as well as on different levels of health care. Furthermore, structures to identify high-risk individuals and manage intervention, follow-up, and evaluation have to be established. Observational studies have provided firm evidence that multiple lifestyle-related factors either increase or decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes. Thus, in type 2 diabetes prevention, it is important to pay attention not only to one single factor such as obesity but …