Major Lifestyle Changes Needed to Prevent Diabetes

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Wednesday, April 03, 2002 10:45 PM

Major Lifestyle Changes Needed to Prevent

Diabetes

 

 

> MEDLINEplus: Major Lifestyle Changes Needed to Prevent Diabetes

> - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_6885.html -

>

> Major Lifestyle Changes Needed to Prevent Diabetes

> Reuters

>

> Tuesday, April 2, 2002

>

>

> NEW YORK, Apr 01 (Reuters Health) - Intensive lifestyle changes can help

> people at risk of developing diabetes to ward off the disease, according

to

> a report. But more modest efforts to boost exercise and improve diet may

not

> be successful.

> Insulin resistance occurs when a person begins to lose the ability to

> respond to the effects of this blood sugar-regulating hormone. People with

> insulin resistance are at risk of going on to develop full-fledged

diabetes.

>

> " Although increased physical activity and dietary modification have been

> shown to improve insulin sensitivity, there are no data that clearly show

> the extent of lifestyle change required, " Dr. Kirsten A. McAuley of Otago

> University in Dunedin, New Zealand, and colleagues note in the March issue

> of Diabetes Care.

>

> To investigate, the researchers randomly assigned 79 non-diabetic,

> insulin-resistant individuals to either a no-intervention " control " group

or

> one of two lifestyle intervention groups.

> In the " modest " intervention group, designed to reflect present dietary

and

> exercise advice, participants aimed to consume less than 32% of total

energy

> from fat, more than 25 grams of fiber per day, and incorporated 30 minutes

> of physical activity into their lives 5 days per week. Importantly, the

> level of intensity of this activity was not specified.

>

> In the " intensive " intervention group, participants tried to consume less

> than 26% of total energy from fat, more than 35 grams of fiber per day,

and

> to exercise to an intensity of 80% to 90% of their age-adjusted maximum

> heart rate for 20 minutes 5 times per week. This level of exercise meets

> American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for developing and

> maintaining cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness.

>

> At the end of the 4-month study period, the intensive group posted a 23%

> increase in insulin sensitivity compared with only a 9% increase in the

> modest group, which was not much better than the control group.

> The authors believe improved aerobic fitness is one of the main factors

> accounting for the improved insulin sensitivity. Aerobic fitness improved

> 11% in the intensive exercise group versus 1% in the modest exercise

group.

>

> These findings have " profound implications for public health, because it

> appears that current advice, even when vigorously implemented, did not

> significantly influence a major underlying abnormality of type 2

diabetes, "

> they write.

>

> " The prevention of diabetes requires substantial rather than modest

changes

> in lifestyle habits, " co-author Dr. Jim I. Mann told Reuters Health. " Our

> research has shown that to achieve the maximum benefit of exercise, it is

> necessary to exercise at least five times per week to an extent that

> appreciably increases heart rate. "

>

> Weight loss, increased consumption of dietary fiber, whole grain cereals

and

> replacing a high proportion of saturated fat with unsaturated fat are the

> dietary measures that have the potential to reduce risk, he added.

> SOURCE: Diabetes Care 2002;25:445-452.

>

>

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for

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>

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