The benefits of intensive lifestyle changes were especially pronounced among older people. Those aged 60 and over lowered their rate of developing type 2 diabetes in the next 10 years by about half.

The increase in the number of overweight Americans has led to an epidemic of type 2 diabetes that shows no signs of slowing. More than two-thirds of adults are now overweight or obese. About 11 percent of adults ?”? 24 million people ?”? have diabetes, and up to 95 percent of them have type 2 diabetes, according to the National Institutes of Health. Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke and the major cause of kidney failure, limb amputations and new-onset blindness.

The researchers are now analyzing the DPPOS data to see whether clinical outcomes differ among the three groups. "The long-term weight loss and reduction in diabetes that we observed in DPPOS are encouraging," says Dr. Crandall. "But ultimately, establishing the benefits of preventing diabetes means showing that you can reduce the deaths and the severe complications associated with this disease."

The study, "10-year Follow-up of Diabetes Incidence and Weight Loss in the Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study," appears in the October 29, 2009 online edition of the Lancet. In addition to Dr. Crandall, other Einstein researchers involved in DPPOS were Harry Shamoon, M.D., Elizabeth Walker, Ph.D., Judith Wylie-Rosett, Ed. D., Swapnil Rajpathak, M.B.B.S, Dr. P.H., and Janet Brown-Friday, R.N., M.P.H.

Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine