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Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence from Clinical Trials

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Diabetes and Hypertension

Part of the book series: Contemporary Diabetes ((CDI))

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Abstract

Type 2 diabetes has become a major public health challenge given its dramatic rising prevalence and the multiple comorbidities and complications associated with its progression. Prevention seems to be the best way of curving this epidemic. The insidious onset of insulin resistance leading to pancreatic beta-cell loss and prediabetes occurs over a course of many years, creating a golden opportunity to identify those at risk and implement effective strategies to prevent progression to diabetes.

Over the past two decades, major randomized controlled trials consistently revealed lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, and moderate weight loss, to be the safest and most efficient strategy to prevent progression to diabetes. Interestingly, recent published follow-up studies revealed this benefit to be persistent greater than 10 years after the initial intervention. Other pharmacologic agents such as metformin, thiazolidinediones, and acarbose were also proven to prevent the progression to diabetes but, with the exception of metformin, the risks associated with their use seem to outweigh this observed benefit.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Endocrinology, Maimonides Medical Center, SUNY-Downstate College of Medicine, 4802 Tenth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11219, USA

    Jocelyne G. Karam M.D.

  2. Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, SUNY-Downstate and Kings County Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA

    Samy I. McFarlane M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.

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  1. Jocelyne G. Karam M.D.
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  2. Samy I. McFarlane M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
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Correspondence to Samy I. McFarlane M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. County Hospital, Division of Endocrinology,, SUNY-Downstate and Kings, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, 11203, New York, USA

    Samy I. McFarlane

  2. ASH Comprehensive Hypertension Center, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago Medical Center, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue, MC1027, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, USA

    George L. Bakris

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Karam, J.G., McFarlane, S.I. (2012). Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes: Evidence from Clinical Trials. In: McFarlane, S., Bakris, G. (eds) Diabetes and Hypertension. Contemporary Diabetes. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-357-2_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-357-2_12

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