DOC News August 1, 2005
Volume 2 Number 8 p. 14
© 2005 American Diabetes Association
Preventing Metabolic Syndrome by Preventing Diabetes
Interventions designed to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes reduce the
risk of metabolic syndrome—a cluster of symptoms including hypertension,
high serum lipids, glucose intolerance, and a large waist size—according
to recently reported findings.
Investigators with the Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group conducted
a study of more than 3,000 people with impaired glucose tolerance.
Participants were randomized to receive treatment with an intensive lifestyle
intervention, therapy with 850 mg of metformin twice daily, or placebo.
The lifestyle intervention was designed to achieve and maintain 7% weight
loss through a low-calorie, low-fat diet and 150 minutes of exercise per
week.
At the beginning of the study, 1,711 participants had metabolic syndrome.
The severity of metabolic syndrome did not differ in terms of treatment group,
age, or sex. Participants were followed for an average of 3.2 years.
The incidence of metabolic syndrome was reduced 41% among those who
received the lifestyle intervention and 17% among those who took metformin,
compared with those who received placebo.
The investigators note that strategies to address diabetes also reduce the
development of metabolic syndrome, and that intensive lifestyle intervention
appears more effective than metformin therapy.
Orchard TJ, Temprosa M, Goldberg R, et al.: The effect of
metformin and intensive lifestyle intervention on the metabolic syndrome: The
Diabetes Prevention Program randomized trial. Ann Intern
Med 142:611–619, 2005.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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