Finnish Study: Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes Reduces with Moderate Weight Loss

Risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes reduces with moderate weight loss in at-risk individuals, revealed the one-year results of The Finnish National Diabetes Prevention Program (FIN-D2D). The program was conducted to examine effects of weight loss on 2,798 individuals with a high risk of Diabetes.

Study

The study was undertaken by Leena Moilanen from Kuopio University Hospital, Finland, and her colleagues on participants who had a history of impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), cardiovascular disease, or gestational Diabetes mellitus.

Findings after a year

• Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with normal glucose tolerance at baseline

• In men: 2.0%
• In women: 1.2%

• Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with IFG

•  In men: 13.5%
•  In women: 7.4%

• Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes with IGT

• In men: 16.1%
• In women: 11.3%

• 17.5% of participants lost 5% or more of their body weight, with no significant differences noted between men and women. Simultaneously, these individuals also had a significant 69% reduction in relative risk for Type 2 Diabetes as compared to those who maintained their baseline weight.

It was also noted that participants who lost less weight in the range of 2.5-4.9% had a 28% reduction in relative risk for Type 2 Diabetes compared to those who maintained their weight. On the contrary, participants who gained 2.5% or more of their body weight had a nonsignificant 10% increase in relative risk for Type 2 Diabetes compared with those who maintained their baseline weight.

According to authors in the journal Diabetes Care, “Despite some weaknesses, this is the largest study so far on implementation of screening and prevention of Diabetes among high-risk individuals in the primary health care setting.”