A simple method for reducing the risk of diabetes by half has been revealed

Prediabetes can be defeated: scientists have discovered a way to prevent type 2 diabetes. A new study by Australian specialists showed that returning glucose levels to normal reduces the risk of developing the disease by more than half.

As reported by TUT.AZ, the work was published in the journal Diabetologia.

Prediabetes has been diagnosed in approximately two million Australians, and one in ten of them annually progresses to type 2 diabetes. This disorder not only worsens quality of life but also creates an enormous economic burden: according to Diabetes Australia, the country spends about $9.1 billion a year on treatment and complications of diabetes.

Previously, medical recommendations mainly focused on slowing the transition from prediabetes to diabetes. But, as shown by a new study published in the journal Diabetologia, the strategy should be reconsidered. The Deakin team monitored the condition of about 8,000 people from Australia, the USA, and Asian countries.

"People who managed to return their glucose levels to the normal range had a 51% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is a significant difference and a clear sign that reversing prediabetes is possible," noted the study's author Najmeh Davoudian.

A particularly pronounced effect was observed in those whose cardio-metabolic health indicators remained normal - blood pressure, cholesterol, body weight, and waist circumference. In non-smokers and people with normal body mass index, the risk was reduced by 80-85%. In contrast, participants who remained in a state of prediabetes doubled their probability of progressing to diabetes, even if other health parameters were relatively good.

Scientists call for a review of treatment approaches. Instead of simply tracking dynamics, doctors should actively work on returning blood sugar levels to normal and eliminating associated risk factors.

"This is a serious signal. It's time to stop perceiving prediabetes as a slow but inevitable movement towards diabetes," emphasized Davoudian. "We need to start treating it as a condition that can be reversed."

Researchers call for updating clinical guidelines so that the goal of therapy becomes precisely the restoration of normal glucose levels combined with improving overall metabolic health.