People diagnosed with prediabetes more likely to return to normal blood sugar levels, study finds

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute's Aging Research Center in Stockholm revealed in a study that people who have prediabetes are less likely to develop diabetes, returning to normal blood sugar levels.

While this spells good news for people worried about their prediabetes diagnosis, experts state that lifestyle changes aid this phenomenon.

"A person with prediabetes has high blood sugar levels, so they should limit their sugar intake as much as possible in order to control the levels and further prevent the risk of diabetes," said Jocelyn Nadua, a registered practical nurse and care coordinator at C-Care Health Services, according to Healthline.

"When choosing foods, consider opting for ones with a lower glycemic index (GI) of 55 or less," she added.

The diagnosis reversal can also be helped by maintaining a diet high in fibre, grains, and vegetables as well as a regular exercise routine. Cutting carbs and processed foods from your daily diet are also suggested for the same.

Researchers studied 918 participants at the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care to arrive at their conclusions. The participants were all above 60 years of age and had been diagnosed with prediabetes. The group was tracked for 12 years by the researchers who found that only 13 per cent of their participants had developed diabetes during the period of observation.

"During a 12-year followup, most of older adults with prediabetes remained stable or reverted to normoglycaemia, whereas only one-third developed diabetes or died," the researchers said. Ying Shang, a PhD student was the lead study author, as per Healthline.

The researchers believe that having lower systolic blood pressure, no heart disease, and manageable weight help in the reversal of the diagnosis.

However, researchers have cautioned that a prediabetes reversal is not a cure as it "needs to be maintained.