medwireNews: A 6-year diet and exercise intervention significantly reduces the long-term risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Chinese adults with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), research suggests.
Speaking at the ADA’s 78th Scientific Sessions in Orlando, Florida, Qiuhong Gong (Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China) said that individuals who received a dietary intervention, a lifestyle intervention, or both (n=438) as part of the Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study had a 26% lower risk for experiencing a CVD event during the 30-year follow-up period than those who did not (n=138), with incidence rates at 65.7% and 52.0%, respectively.
She noted, however, that although just nine people would need to receive the intervention to prevent one CVD event over the 30-year period, the incidence of CVD was almost identical between the two groups during the first 10 years of follow-up.
The researchers also found that an individuals’ first CVD event occurred an average of 4.82 years later in the intervention group than in the control group.
Gong believes that the Da Qing Diabetes Prevention Study “is the first to show that a lifestyle intervention program in persons with IGT significantly reduces the incidence of CVD.”
She concluded: “Our results provide further justification to adopt lifestyle interventions as public health measures to prevent [type 2 diabetes mellitus].”
By Laura Cowen
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