Taking measures to protect heart health can also help prevent diabetes, according to a study published in Diabetologia.
A research team from Columbus-based Ohio State Wexner Medical Center examined diabetes among 7,758 participants in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study. They used the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 to measure heart health among the group. The AHA's Life's Simple 7 metrics can be used to define ideal cardiovascular health based on seven risk factors.
The study shows participants who were in the ideal ranges for at least four of the seven factors had a 70 percent lower risk of developing diabetes in the next decade. The participants who were already diabetic or prediabetic and were in the ideal ranges for four of the factors did not lower their risk of developing diabetes.
"This research adds to our collective understanding about how physicians can help their patients prevent a number of serious diseases, including heart disease, cancer and now diabetes," said K. Craig Kent, MD, dean of The Ohio State University College of Medicine.