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Diabetes Prevention:
Never Too Old
Diabetes incidence is skyrocketing,
much of it apparently due to rising rates of obesity. Add to
that the estimated 57 million Americans who have pre-diabetes,
people who have higher than normal blood sugar and are at increased
risk of developing diabetes. For people who wonder whether lifestyle
in middle age and beyond really can prevent diabetes, a recent
study suggests that it can.
In the study, 9 of 10 new cases
of diabetes in adults over age 65 were attributable to 5 lifestyle
factors: weight, diet, activity, tobacco and alcohol. Amidst
discussions of the personal and national costs of diabetes and
its complications, the impact of focusing on moderate changes
in lifestyle demands attention. |
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The study tracked 4,883 men and
women age 65 and older for ten years. After adjusting for age,
sex, race, education and income, researchers found that diets
highest in fiber with a healthier balance of fats and lower in
refined grains and sweets was one link to lower risk of diabetes.
Other habits of people less likely to develop diabetes were long-term
avoidance of tobacco, light to moderate alcohol consumption,
healthy weight and/or waist circumference, and regular physical
activity.
The significance of avoiding
excess body fat seen in past research was repeated here; that
alone was enough to cut diabetes risk almost 50 percent. Overall,
the rate of diabetes was 35 percent lower for each one additional
healthy lifestyle factor, such as simply walking more than average
and eating more healthfully (more fiber, less sweets, healthier
fats). People whose lifestyle ranked healthier than average in
all five categories slashed their risk of diabetes by 89 percent.
But can someone whose lifestyle
falls in the high-risk, unhealthy group – and perhaps has
for years – change behavior? Yes, according to a body of
research. For example, a new German study of 182 overweight and
obese middle age people with pre-diabetes. After a 12-month program,
participants lost weight, increased exercise and improved eating
habits. Fasting blood sugar levels dropped.
Two large studies, the American
Diabetes Prevention Program and the Finnish Diabetes Prevention
Study, had previously shown that a low fat diet, increased physical
activity and weight loss could decrease incidence of type 2 diabetes
by 58 percent in adults showing signs of prediabetes. The majority
of people in these studies could attain the goal of a five to
seven percent weight loss. However, both lifestyle change programs
relied on intensive long-term individual counseling.
Together, these studies provide
a vital message: Lifestyle change works, and your habits don’t
have to be perfect to make a difference. "Small Steps. Big
Rewards" is free information you can get from the National
Institutes of Health about how to achieve the Diabetes Prevention
Program goals. (Order or read online at the National Diabetes
Education Program Web site.)
If you have trouble creating
or maintaining a healthier lifestyle on your own, you’re
not alone. In each of these studies, those in a program that
shared tips and showed people how to set goals and solve problems
did better than those simply given written information. So check
with your local hospital or community centers to see what’s
available. If no program exists, request that they start one. |
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