A new international study published in The Lancet Global Health has found that people with prediabetes are more likely to return to normal blood sugar levels than to develop type 2 diabetes.
Analyzing long-term data, researchers reported that 36% of individuals with prediabetes reverted to normoglycaemia, compared to 12.5% who progressed to diabetes over 10 years.
The study identified key risk factors influencing outcomes. Higher baseline blood sugar, older age, male sex, obesity, low HDL cholesterol, and greater waist-to-hip ratios reduced the chances of reversal and increased diabetes risk. Latinx populations were found to have a higher likelihood of progression.
Experts say the findings challenge the perception of prediabetes as an inevitable pathway to diabetes. Instead, they highlight the potential of targeted lifestyle changes and early interventions to not only delay but also reverse prediabetes.
The authors called for public health strategies to adopt a “dual approach” preventing progression while actively promoting reversion to normal glucose levels to better address the global diabetes burden.
