Report from an effort to prevent type 2 diabetes development in primary care

BackgroundIn a clinical trial 2009–2012, individuals with prediabetes were randomised to a lifestyle intervention (LI) focused on physical activity or care as usual (CAU), with the aim of reducing development of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). At study termination after three years, there was a significantly less of an increase in insulin resistance in LI compared with the CAU group. The aim of this extended follow-up was to investigate whether positive results concerning metabolic variables remained five years after study termination.MethodAll participants from the original study were contacted for a new follow-up with an oral glucose tolerance test, anthropometric measurements, blood pressure and blood samples. Questionnaires about lifestyle were completed.ResultsA total of 69 of the original 123 participants were examined, and personal data for another five participants were collected from the medical charts (n = 74). The LI group showed a decrease in diastolic blood pressure (?4 mmHg, CI 95% 0.8–6.8, p = 0.014) and body weight (?3 kg, CI 95% 1.2–4.9, p = 0.002) since base-line. Weight loss in the LI group was significantly greater compared with weight loss in the CAU group (?3 kg, CI 0.1–5.9, p = 0.044). Insulin resistance markers and incident T2DM were similar among the groups.ConclusionAlthough without modifying the incidence of diabetes or the level of insulin resistance, a physical activity intervention may be used to induce sustainable weight change in subjects with prediabetes at the primary care level.