Recently, there are doctors that have become hesitant to recommend a drug called Metformin to treat prediabetes. There is one study that suggested a lifestyle program was more beneficial for some groups in controlling both weight and blood glucose control than using Metformin as the primary means for controlling these. The studies followed the progress of people both at low risk and high risk for developing diabetes. The study followed a third group that used a placebo instead of the medicine. In all cases, the group undergoing a lifestyle program benefited more than those that simply took a pill. Weight loss was the primary determining factor in measuring success for the study participants and that could be a limitation.
Key Takeaways:
- New medical studies point to lifestyle changes, diet and exercise, being more beneficial for diabetes prevention than medication.
- Research shows that reducing weight and eating properly significantly reduces diabetes risk while prediabetic; while medication offered minor benefits in reducing risk.
- Blood glucose levels were half as likely to be normal for prediabetic patients taking medication, compared to lifestyle change patients.
“The lifestyle program was also shown to be more beneficial among participants deemed to be at highest risk for developing diabetes.”
Read more: https://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/blog/metformin-vs-lifestyle-changes-prediabetes/