One in 10 adults worldwide is affected by prediabetes, while the figure is as high as one in five in Germany. Prediabetes is diagnosed when fasting blood sugar is elevated and glucose regulation is impaired, which increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and other complications.
Lifestyle changes, such as diet and more exercise, are usually used to combat prediabetes and prevent type 2 diabetes. Studies show that, in addition to weight loss, the normalization of blood sugar values (prediabetes remission) is particularly decisive. Future studies will clarify whether remission also protects against diabetes-related comorbidities.
Prof. Andreas Birkenfeld, DZD board member and medical director of the Department of Internal Medicine IV at the University of Tübingen, stresses that targeted prediabetes remission together with weight loss should be the primary therapeutic objective in order to prevent type 2 diabetes and improve quality of life for affected individuals.
