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A major new study has found that adopting a healthy lifestyle—including regular exercise and a balanced diet—is more effective in preventing type 2 diabetes than the widely used anti-diabetes drug metformin, with benefits lasting for over two decades.
The findings come from the US Diabetes Prevention Program, which began in 1996 and tracked 3,234 participants with prediabetes from 30 institutions across 22 states. The study compared the long-term effects of metformin with those of an intensive lifestyle intervention focused on weight loss and increased physical activity.
Key results include:
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Lifestyle changes reduced the development of diabetes by 24%, compared to a 17% reduction with metformin.
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In the first three years, lifestyle interventions led to a 58% reduction in new diabetes cases, while metformin achieved a 31% reduction.
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Participants in the lifestyle group experienced an average of 3.5 additional years without diabetes, versus 2.5 years for those on metformin.
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The positive effects of lifestyle changes were durable, with many participants remaining diabetes-free even after 22 years.
Professor Vallabh Raj Shah of The University of New Mexico, one of the study’s authors, stated, “Within three years, they had to stop the study because lifestyle was better than metformin. That means lifestyle, which everybody is banking on, is more effective—that is the news”.
The study, published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology, highlights the critical role of lifestyle interventions in diabetes prevention and supports public health strategies that prioritize healthy living over sole reliance on medication.
“During follow-up, compared with placebo, diabetes incidence rate was reduced in the (intensive lifestyle intervention) group (by 24 per cent), and in the original metformin group (by 17 per cent), with corresponding increases in median diabetes-free survival of 3.5 years and 2.5 years,” the authors wrote.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on recently published scientific research and is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your doctor or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding your health or medical conditions. The news and editorial staff had no role in the creation of this article and do not endorse any specific medical treatments or recommendations.
