Spotlight on lifestyle interventions for National Diabetes Month

World Diabetes Day is to be held on Nov. 14 and President Obama recently proclaimed November to be National Diabetes Month.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is marking the occasion by focusing on the importance of lifestyle changes to treat and prevent diabetes. A press release from the agency described the resources available to the public as part of the National Diabetes Education Program, including the Just One Step and the Make A Plan tools. The American Diabetes Association is offering online and offline activities focused on healthy living and the issues facing diabetes patients.

Lifestyle interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes also recently made the news because the NIH announced it was halting the Look AHEAD (Action in Health for Diabetes) study. The trial had randomized more than 5,000 patients to an intensive lifestyle intervention or a general program of support and education. After up to 11 years of follow-up, researchers concluded that the intervention was having no impact on rates of heart disease, stroke or cardiovascular-related death.

However, the diet and exercise intervention did offer other benefits. Participants maintained an average weight loss of nearly 5% after four years in the program, compared to about 1% in the control group. They also had less sleep apnea and need for diabetes medications and better mobility and better quality of life. Researchers plan to continue following the patients and report their findings (including sub-group analyses) in a peer-reviewed publication, according to an NIH press release.