Prediabetic patients who achieve remission can lower their risk of heart attack by nearly 60%, according to a recent study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.
NEW DELHI – A recent study reveals that individuals with prediabetes who successfully lower their blood sugar levels and achieve remission can significantly reduce their risk of serious heart problems by nearly 60 percent.
The research, published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, indicates that restoring blood glucose levels to the normal range—effectively reversing prediabetes—substantially decreases the risk of death from heart disease or hospitalization due to heart failure.
According to the study, individuals who achieved remission from prediabetes experienced a 58 percent lower risk of cardiovascular death or hospitalization for heart failure. This protective effect appears to persist for decades after glucose levels have normalized, suggesting a long-term benefit associated with effective blood sugar regulation, as noted by researchers from King’s College London in the UK.
The findings are particularly noteworthy in light of recent research suggesting that lifestyle changes alone—including increased exercise, weight loss, and dietary improvements—do not necessarily reduce cardiovascular risk in individuals with prediabetes.
Dr. Andreas Birkenfeld, lead author of the study and Reader in Diabetes at King’s College London and University Hospital Tuebingen, emphasized the significance of these findings. “The study challenges one of the biggest assumptions in modern preventive medicine,” he stated.
For years, individuals with prediabetes have been advised that lifestyle modifications such as losing weight, exercising more, and eating healthier would protect them from heart attacks and early death. While these lifestyle changes are undoubtedly beneficial, the evidence does not support the notion that they effectively reduce heart attacks or mortality in people with prediabetes, according to Dr. Birkenfeld.
“Instead, we show that remission of prediabetes is associated with a clear reduction in fatal cardiac events, heart failure, and all-cause mortality,” he added.
Prediabetes is characterized by blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not elevated enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Previous studies have indicated that combined lifestyle interventions, which include increased physical activity and healthy eating, did not significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. This suggests that merely delaying the onset of diabetes may not provide cardiovascular protection unless key metabolic changes occur.
Dr. Birkenfeld further noted, “The findings indicate that prediabetes remission could establish itself—alongside lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and quitting smoking—as a fourth major primary prevention strategy that truly prevents heart attacks and deaths.”
These insights underscore the importance of targeting blood sugar levels in prediabetic patients as a means to enhance cardiovascular health and longevity.
According to IANS, the implications of this study could reshape the approach to preventing heart disease in individuals at risk due to prediabetes.