KTVT CBS 11 Health Alert
Dr. Lewis Pincus
Taping Script, Week of August 10th, 2001

Diabetes Prevention

Anchor: On Wednesday the Federal Government released the results of the Diabetes Prevention Program, the largest study ever undertaken in this country to investigate our ability to prevent this disease. Here with a report is our medical expert Dr. Lewis Pincus.

Doctor: Thank you. The purpose of the nationwide study, the Diabetes Prevention Program, was to see if positive lifestyle changes in a group of obese Americans already on their way to becoming diabetic, could in fact prevent the development of this horrible disease.

3,234 patients were enrolled into the study at 27 health centers nationwide. To get into the study patients had to be obese and have a type of blood sugar reading that was not normal, but not yet in the diabetic range…called impaired glucose tolerance. The patients were divided into three groups… one group was put on a low fat diet and told to exercise 30 minutes daily. The second group was placed on the drug Glucophage, a medication already used widely by doctors to treat diabetics. The third group received a placebo, or inactive medication.

The study, designed to go 4 yrs., was stopped after 3 yrs because of the striking results seen. The data show that the diet and exercise group had a 58% reduction in the risk of becoming diabetic and that the Glucophage group, which was medication only without diet and exercise, had a 31% risk reduction, also significant but not nearly as impressive as the lifestyle change only group. The lifestyle change group had an average weight loss of only 15 pounds over 3 yrs.

Anchor: You mentioned the term impaired glucose tolerance. What exactly is a blood sugar level that’s normal but not quite diabetic?

Doctor: A normal blood sugar (or blood glucose) level is up to 110. Impaired glucose tolerance is the range of 111 to 125, and diabetes is defined as a fasting glucose of 126 or greater. If you think you are at risk for being diabetic, you must get your blood sugar checked. Something that very few people understand, and very few physicians talk about, is the fact that if you have impaired glucose tolerance your body is already under attack by a process that will lead to the same type of complications we see in diabetics.

In today's toxic food world, where we are surrounded by fat and sugar and inactivity, if you are overweight and out of shape you know exactly what I mean when I say that losing weight and getting into shape are not easy. Maybe it should be easy, but for most people it isn’t. But with some focus, some study, and some self-forgiveness you can do this. To be well, you may have to do it. And if you give your body a chance to heal itself by supplying it with the right fuel and movement, you will get the job done.

For CBS Health Alert, I’m Dr. Lew Pincus. And back to you.
 

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