Lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise are more effective than drug treatment in preventing metabolic syndrome, which is made up of high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity and can lead to diabetes and heart disease, according to a new study.
Dr. Trevor J. Orchard, at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and colleagues followed 3234 people who had not yet developed outright diabetes but who had high blood glucose levels.
The subjects were enrolled in the Diabetes Prevention Program, and were randomly assigned to take the anti-diabetes drug metformin, or an inactive placebo pill, or to undertake an intensive lifestyle intervention — designed to achieve and maintain a 7 percent weight loss and 150 minutes of exercise per week.
Metabolic syndrome — which is a combination of obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels — was diagnosed in 53 percent of the participants overall when they were enrolled in the study.
After an average 3-year follow-up, the rate of metabolic syndrome decreased from 51 percent to 43 percent in the lifestyle group. However, it increased from 55 percent to 61 percent in the placebo group, and from 54 percent to 55 percent in the metformin group.
These findings highlight the value of lifestyle interventions in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome, Orchard’s group notes.
– Annals of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Keith & Laurie Nemec comments on Diet and Exercise – Better Than Medication in Preventing Disease:
As has been shown once again, God’s natural way to health exceeds man’s unnatural way to health with drug therapies. Drugs are chemicals and chemicals make the body overwork and become toxic which opens the door to all disease. Foods are not chemicals and toxins and they open the door to higher levels of health. Of course, exercise always has been a part of the formula for good health. Drugs must be kept in the domain where they belong—in emergency medical care such as life threatening situations and also when organs have been damaged and they no longer function correctly. Although there are times when even this might not be necessary if one learned how to heal themselves and how to keep themselves in total health of body, mind and spirit.As has been shown once again, God’s natural way to health exceeds man’s unnatural way to health with drug therapies. Drugs are chemicals and chemicals make the body overwork and become toxic which opens the door to all disease. Foods are not chemicals and toxins and they open the door to higher levels of health. Of course, exercise always has been a part of the formula for good health. Drugs must be kept in the domain where they belong—in emergency medical care such as life threatening situations and also when organs have been damaged and they no longer function correctly. Although there are times when even this might not be necessary if one learned how to heal themselves and how to keep themselves in total health of body, mind and spirit.As this study confirmed, the rate of metabolic syndrome decreased from 51 to 43 percent in the diet and lifestyle group where it increased in both the medication and placebo group.
As has been shown once again, God’s natural way to health exceeds man’s unnatural way to health with drug therapies. Drugs are chemicals and chemicals make the body overwork and become toxic which opens the door to all disease. Foods are not chemicals and toxins and they open the door to higher levels of health. Of course, exercise always has been a part of the formula for good health. Drugs must be kept in the domain where they belong—in emergency medical care such as life threatening situations and also when organs have been damaged and they no longer function correctly. Although there are times when even this might not be necessary if one learned how to heal themselves and how to keep themselves in total health of body, mind and spirit.As this study confirmed, the rate of metabolic syndrome decreased from 51 to 43 percent in the diet and lifestyle group where it increased in both the medication and placebo group.
