Metabolism: clinical and experimental
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Review Meta Analysis
Efficacy of lifestyle interventions in reducing diabetes incidence in patients with impaired glucose tolerance: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials.
Every year over 3.8 million people are dying of diabetes and its complications. Lifestyle intervention was suggested to have beneficial effects in preventing and reducing diabetes incidence. Interventions in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), who belong to a high risk group in developing diabetes, are supposed to be especially effective. According to the evidence hierarchy, a 1a level of evidence is missing and therefore a systematic review verifying the efficacy of lifestyle intervention is needed. ⋯ Under consideration of heterogeneity in lifestyle interventions and follow up time of the included studies, this systematic review illustrated that lifestyle intervention can have a beneficial effect on the incidence of diabetes in patients with impaired glucose tolerance. However, several studies found the effect of lifestyle intervention decreased after intervention was terminated. No long-term benefit in mortality and morbidity was found. Development of standardized lifestyle intervention program is strongly needed and further long-term intervention trials using this program are crucial in evidencing the long-term efficacy.