Can prediabetes be reversed? Apollo doctor highlights a new study and shares how to reverse it
Many people think prediabetes is an inevitable step toward lifelong diabetes, but a new study challenges this notion. In fact, the early years after diagnosis may be the most crucial period to turn things around. Apollo doctor Dr. Sudhir Kumar recently revealed that prediabetes can often be reversed when someone takes prompt action, and a decade-long study from India strongly supports this idea with remarkable data on progression, recovery, and the significance of timing.
Dr. Sudhir Kumar explained on X that prediabetes is most reversible within the first two years. He noted that many individuals are diagnosed with prediabetes before developing diabetes, providing a unique opportunity to restore normal blood sugar levels. According to him, the key habits that facilitate the transition from prediabetes to normoglycemia (https://m.economictimes.com/topic/normoglycemia) involve four essential pillars: adopting a healthier diet with reduced carbohydrate intake, engaging in a combination of aerobic exercises and strength training, achieving weight loss for those who are overweight or obese, and consistently getting quality sleep.
A decade-long study titled 'Transition between prediabetic and diabetic stages in an urban community in India: A decade-long retrospective cohort study' provides valuable context to his message. Researchers analyzed data from 1,670 adults aged 30 and above, tracking the patterns of normoglycemia (normal blood sugar levels), prediabetes, and type II diabetes (https://m.economictimes.com/topic/type-ii-diabetes) over ten years. They calculated the incidence rates of diabetes separately for individuals who started with normal blood sugar levels and those who already had prediabetes at the beginning of the study.
The numbers are striking. The overall incidence of type II diabetes was 20.94 per 1,000 person-years, but those who started with prediabetes faced a significantly higher risk at 41.74 per 1,000 person-years. Those with normal blood sugar levels at the study's onset had a lower rate of 15.89. The probability of progressing from prediabetes to diabetes was approximately 30%, while the shift from normal to prediabetes was around 25%.
What's most remarkable is the reversal trend. The study found that the likelihood of moving from prediabetes back to normoglycemia peaked at nearly 60% within the first two to three years. After this period, the chances of reversal gradually decreased. Men were more prone to progress to diabetes, while women demonstrated a higher likelihood of returning to normal blood sugar levels.
