It is well-known that type 2 diabetes increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.In addition, type 2 diabetes and the glucose-lowering therapy needed to treat the condition both contribute to overweight and obesity. According to a study published online March 23 in Diabetes Care, intensive lifestyle intervention significantly improves cardiovascular risk factors in people with type 2 diabetes.

Look AHEAD was a multi-center randomized controlled trial designed to examine the effect of a lifestyle intervention to promote weight loss and increased physical fitness on the use and cost of medications to treat cardiovascular disease risk factors in overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes. The trial included 5.145 individuals with diabetes, aged 45- 76 years, who were assigned to receive either intensive lifestyle intervention or diabetes support and education. The intensive lifestyle intervention involved individual and group meetings targeted at achieving and maintaining weight loss through diet and exercise.

After one year, people with type 2 diabetes who received intensive lifestyle intervention had significantly greater improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, with reduced medications use and cost compared to those who received diabetes support and education. However, continued intervention and longer term follow-up is needed to determine whether these improvements in cardiovascular risk factors and medication costs persist over time to reduce cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular death among people with type 2 diabetes.

Source:

Diabetes Care. Published 23 March 2010.