Can type 2 diabetes be prevented?

Type 2 diabetes is a disease of lifestyle in most cases, and can thus often be prevented. There is good evidence to show that controlling weight, getting plenty of exercise and eating a diet low in fats and high in complex carbohydrates – fruit and vegetables – lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes in most people.

Many medical authorities recommend that anyone who has a family history of type 2 diabetes should have their blood glucose checked regularly, particularly once they are older than 40. Some doctors recommend that anyone over the age of 40, regardless of family history, should have regular blood glucose checks.

If impaired glucose tolerance is detected, then early prevention such as weight loss, exercise and a change of diet may well prevent or at least delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

(Reviewed by Dr Graham Ellis, updated November 2011 by Mari Hudson)