Start Lifestyle Changes Immediately on Diabetes Diagnosis

When told that they’ve got type 2 diabetes, many people may wonder if there’s any need to change their lifestyle. They’ve heard all about people with diabetes who’ve lived as before for years and years, without seeming to do anything but take a medication or two. Unfortunately, however, if they delay getting their blood sugar level under control, they will find it much harder to control their condition. This has now been demonstrated in a study reported in the journal Diabetes Care.

Kaiser Permanente records in Oregon from over 2,500 newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients were analyzed. Attention was focused on weight change, glucose control, and blood pressure control. The HbA1c level was used to measure glucose control, the ultimate target of treatment. Changes in weight over 3 years were used to project the likelihood of a patient achieving good glucose control.

Those patients who had significant weight loss in the first 18 months after being diagnosed were 52% and 77% more likely to have good glucose control at 4 years, compared with those who had stable weight or who gained, respectively. Early weight loss was also associated with a 47% to 83% lower likelihood of raised blood pressure after 4 years, compared with those with stable weight or a weight increase, respectively, in the first 18 months.

This study shows that early weight loss (due to appropriate dietary changes and increased physical activity) after a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes predicts improved glucose control and blood pressure control. A further finding in the study was that weight regain after an initial weight loss does not necessarily mean loss of the established gain in glucose and blood pressure control.

Bottom line: Don’t let the grass grow under your feet if you’re diagnosed with diabetes – get started immediately on the necessary steps to lose weight. It will pay dividends!

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