Healthy Lifestyle vs. Anti-Diabetes Drug: Which Proves More Effective?

Should one opt for a healthier lifestyle or take anti-diabetes drugs? Which one would be a better option to consider? Certainly, this question might have popped into our heads. 

Researchers from the University of New Mexico seem to have answered it for us. As per the experts, choosing a healthier lifestyle was more effective than using the anti-diabetic drug metformin. The benefits of a healthier lifestyle were found to persist over 20 years later. 

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The study found that making changes in one’s lifestyle lowered the development of diabetes by 24 per cent. The same on taking the anti-diabetes drug, which lowered diabetes by 17 per cent. The findings of the study are published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology journal.

After the first three years, lifestyle changes, such as weight loss and increased physical activity, led to a 58 per cent reduction in the onset of type 2 diabetes, compared to a 31 per cent reduction with metformin, explained the researchers. 

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“During follow-up, compared with placebo, diabetes incidence rate was reduced in the (intensive lifestyle intervention) group (by 24 per cent), and in the original metformin group (by 17 per cent), with corresponding increases in median diabetes-free survival of 3.5 years and 2.5 years,” the authors added. 

Taking an effort to lose extra weight, being physically active, adding more healthy plant foods and healthy fats in your diet are some of the ways in which one can make a transition to a healthier lifestyle. 

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