The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology notes that this study was based on data from participants in two long-term studies: the American DPPOS study and the Chinese DaQing-DPOS study. Both studies included volunteers with prediabetes, whose health was monitored by researchers for decades. Prediabetes is defined as a condition in which blood sugar levels are elevated but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.
Researchers have shown that so-called "prediabetes remission"—the return of blood sugar levels to normal—is associated with long-term cardiovascular protection. Participants who successfully controlled their blood sugar levels had a 58% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease or hospitalization for heart failure, and a 42% lower risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and other serious cardiovascular events.
The researchers confirmed that the protective effect of restoring glucose levels lasted for decades, indicating a sustained impact of metabolic changes, not just a short-term effect of the intervention. It also became clear that weight loss or increased physical activity alone do not guarantee a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease if glucose levels do not return to normal.
