A healthy lifestyle helps prevent diabetes

 Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease in Hong Kong. Diabetic patients may need to take long-term medications, and they have raised risk of developing heart disease and stroke. A study done by the National Institute of Health, United States, found that regular exercise and healthy diet could help delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The study recruited more than 3000 overweight people with impaired glucose tolerance (a precursor of diabetes mellitus). They are randomly allocated to receive lifestyle changes, drugs or just monitoring. Lifestyle changes included exercise of moderate intensity for 30 minutes a day 5 days per week, and reduction of intake of fat and calories. The results showed that diet and exercise that achieved about 5 percent weight loss reduced the risk of disease by 58 percent. Although we need further studies to fully understand the effects of diet and exercise have on prevention of diabetes, this study serves to give useful information on the issue. A healthy lifestyle can help prevent diabetes mellitus.

(Last Updated on 17-01-2003)