Prediabetes is usually considered an intermediate stage before the development of type 2 diabetes. But new research has shown that this process can be reversed in many people.
Scientists at the IMPACT Institute at Deakin University in Australia found that normalizing glucose levels reduces the risk of developing the disease by more than 50%. The study was published in the journal Diabetologia.
About two million Australians are diagnosed with pre-diabetes, and one in ten of them progress to type 2 diabetes each year. This condition not only worsens the quality of life, but also creates a huge economic burden.
According to Diabetes Australia, the country spends about $9.1 billion a year on diabetes treatment and complications. In the past, medical guidelines mainly focused on slowing the progression from pre-diabetes to diabetes.
But as a new study published in the journal Diabetologia shows, this strategy needs to be reconsidered. Deakin's team followed nearly 8,000 people from Australia, the United States and Asia: "People who managed to get their glucose levels back into normal range had a 51% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is a significant difference and a clear sign that recovery from prediabetes is possible," said study author Najme Davoudian. The effect was especially pronounced in those whose cardiovascular health indicators remained normal: blood pressure, cholesterol, body weight. In non-smokers and people with a normal body mass index, the risk is reduced to 80-85%. Conversely, participants who remained in the state of prediabetes doubled the likelihood of developing diabetes, even if other health parameters were relatively favorable. Scientists call for a review of treatment approaches. Healthcare professionals should actively work to bring blood sugar levels back to normal and eliminate associated risk factors. "This is a serious signal. It's time to stop considering prediabetes as a slow but inevitable march to diabetes," Davoudian emphasized. "We need to start treating it as a reversible condition." The researchers call for updated clinical guidelines so that the goal of therapy is to restore normal glucose levels combined with improving overall metabolic health.
