Diet, Exercise Cut Death Rates in Pre-diabetes

People with blood sugar just below diabetes levels may live longer with diet and exercise, a new study has found. The study included 438 people who were randomly assigned to a program of diet and exercise and 138 who did not make specific changes. All of them had pre-diabetes. This condition is defined by blood-sugar levels that are above normal but not as high as those in diabetes. But people with this condition have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diet and exercise, including weight loss, can lower the odds of developing type 2 diabetes in people with pre-diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes have twice the average risk of dying from heart disease or stroke. In this new study, researchers kept track of people for about 20 years. About 12% of those in the diet and exercise group died of heart disease, stroke or related causes.