150 Minutes of Weekly Exercise May Reverse Prediabetes, according to Study

A recent study entitled "Factors related to reversal of prediabetes in patients from a cardiovascular risk program during 2019-2023" was published in the journal Cardiovascular Diabetology – Endocrinology Reports on June 25.

The researchers found that individuals who performed at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week were more than four times as likely to reverse prediabetes and return to normal glucose levels compared to inactive participants.

The study tracked individuals with a mean age of 69.5 years, 50.8% of them women, and with a median follow-up time of 366 days--researchers followed their activity and blood sugar data over the roughly one-year time period.

The study defined reversal in its clinical definitions section. "Patients with return to normoglycaemia were defined as those with fasting plasma glucose < 100 mg/dl and HbA1c < 5.7%," it explained.

Along with physical activity, age, BMI, and HbA1c were the biggest factors in determining the probability of reversal. Among those factors, higher physical activity led to a higher probability of reversal, while a higher BMI and HbA1c were associated with a lower probability of reversal. The study also examined the glucose/triglyceride index as a marker of insulin resistance, and found a higher index was associated with a lower likelihood of reversal.

It appears physical activity really does work for many to reverse pre-diabetes, as reversion of prediabetes to normalized, stable blood sugar levels occurred in 21.5% of cases.

This is a large-scale study showing that physical activity alone, without any medication or drastic diet changes, can normalize blood glucose in a portion of prediabetic adults. As rates of prediabetes rise globally, the research reinforces that prevention can potentially be accessible, although further research is needed to expand on these findings and develop strategies for implementation.