Abstract

VALENCIAGA RODRIGUEZ, José Luis; NAVARRO DESPAIGNE, Daysi  and  FAGET CEPERO, Orestes. Intervention studies aimed at lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Rev Cubana Endocrinol [online]. 2003, vol.14, n.3. ISSN 1561-2953.

Intervention studies on population at risk aimed at lowering the frequency of occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus(DM2) are considered as guiding lines for the work with these patients. The objective of the present study is to review the results of research works aimed at lowering the risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus. The studied subjects presented with some of the following conditions: altered glucose at fasting or altered glucose tolerance, personal history of gestational diabetes and individuals with metabolic syndrome. The following studies are quoted among others: DPP (diabetes prevention program), DPS (diabetes prevention study), STOP-NIDDM (study to prevent non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus), Hyperglycemia at fasting, DAISI (Dutch acarbose intervention trial), Da Quing (a Chinese study), TRIPOD (troglitazone in the prevention of diabetes), XENDOS (xenical in the prevention of diabetes in obese subjects), WOSCOPS (west of Scotland coronary prevention study), EDIT( early diabetes intervention trial), NAVIGATOR (nateglinide and valsartan in impaired glucose tolerance outcomes research), DREAM (diabetes reduction assessment with ramipril and rosiglitazone medication). These research works consisted in changes of lifestyle (fundamentally systematic physical exercising and nutritional orientations) and/or therapeutic interventions. It is concluded that in persons aged 25 years or more of both sexes, having risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus, the adoption of a healthy life style reduces the risk of diabetic syndrome. In subjects with high type 2 diabetes mellitus risk, drugs that exhibit the best and more consistent results are metformin and acarbose. Other drugs as nateglidine, rosiglitazone, ramipril and valsartan are under research at present.

Keywords : Altered glucose tolerance; diabetes mellitus; exercise; diet; diabetes prevention.