A recent study has revealed that individuals with prediabetes who successfully bring their blood sugar levels back to normal can dramatically reduce their risk of serious heart problems, including heart attacks and heart failure, by nearly 60 per cent.
Published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, the research highlights that reversing prediabetes, rather than merely managing lifestyle factors, has a lasting impact on cardiovascular health.
Patients who achieved remission from prediabetes showed a 58 per cent lower risk of death from heart disease or hospitalisation due to heart failure, with the protective effect lasting for decades.
The findings question long-held beliefs in preventive medicine. While lifestyle interventions such as increased exercise, weight loss, and improved diet are crucial for overall health, the study indicates that these changes alone do not significantly reduce cardiovascular risk in people with prediabetes.
Lead author Dr Andreas Birkenfeld, Reader in Diabetes at King’s College London and University Hospital Tuebingen, explained, “For years, people with prediabetes have been advised that healthy lifestyle changes will protect them from heart attacks and premature death. While such changes remain valuable, our study shows they do not necessarily lower the risk of fatal cardiac events in prediabetic individuals.”
Instead, Dr Birkenfeld emphasised that remission from prediabetes clearly and sustainably reduces the risk of heart attacks, heart failure and overall mortality.
Implications for public health
Prediabetes occurs when blood glucose levels rise above normal but remain below the threshold for type 2 diabetes.
Previous studies suggested that lifestyle modifications could delay the onset of diabetes but did not reliably prevent cardiovascular disease.
This new research underscores that true remission, rather than merely postponing diabetes, may be critical for heart protection.
Dr Birkenfeld added, “Prediabetes remission could become, alongside lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and quitting smoking, a fourth major primary prevention strategy to prevent heart attacks and save lives.”
The study offers a renewed perspective on managing prediabetes, highlighting that targeted interventions to reverse elevated blood sugar can have profound and lasting benefits for cardiovascular health.
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