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Diabetes mellitus and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) represent an emerging global public health challenge. In Germany, about 6.7 million adults are affected by diabetes according to national health surveys, including 1.3 million with undiagnosed diabetes. Complications of diabetes result in an increasing burden for individuals and society as well as enormous costs for the health care system. In response, the Federal Ministry of Health commissioned the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) to implement a diabetes surveillance system and the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) to develop a diabetes prevention strategy. In a two-day workshop jointly organized by the RKI and the BZgA, representatives from public health institutes in seven countries shared their expertise and knowledge on diabetes prevention and surveillance. Day one focused on NCD surveillance systems and emphasized both the strengthening of sustainable data sources and the timely and targeted dissemination of results using innovative formats. The second day focused on diabetes prevention strategies and highlighted the importance of involving all relevant stakeholders in the development process to facilitate its acceptance and implementation. Furthermore, the effective translation of prevention measures into real-world settings requires data from surveillance systems to identify high-risk groups and evaluate the effect of measures at the population level based on analyses of time trends in risk factors and disease outcomes. Overall, the workshop highlighted the close link between diabetes prevention strategies and surveillance systems. It was generally stated that only robust data enables effective prevention measures to encounter the increasing burden from diabetes and other NCDs.

Objectives: To investigate associations of long-term nutrient intake, physical activity and obesity with later cognitive function among the participants in the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study, in which a lifestyle intervention was successful in diabetes prevention. Design: An active lifestyle intervention phase during middle age (mean duration 4 years) and extended follow-up (additional 9 years) with annual lifestyle measurements, followed by an ancillary cognition assessment. Setting: 5 research centers in Finland. Participants: Of the 522 middle-aged, overweight participants with impaired glucose tolerance recruited to the study, 364 (70%) participated in the cognition assessment (mean age 68 years). Measurements: A cognitive assessment was executed with the CERAD test battery and the Trail Making Test A on average 13 years after baseline. Lifestyle measurements included annual clinical measurements, food records, and exercise questionnaires during both the intervention and follow-up phase. Results: Lower intake of total fat (p=0.021) and saturated fatty acids (p=0.010), and frequent physical activity (p=0.040) during the whole study period were associated with better cognitive performance. Higher BMI (p= 0.012) and waist circumference (p= 0.012) were also associated with worse performance, but weight reduction prior to the cognition assessment predicted worse performance as well (decrease vs. increase, p= 0.008 for BMI and p= 0.002 for waist). Conclusions: Long-term dietary fat intake, BMI, and waist circumference have an inverse association with cognitive function in later life among people with IGT. However, decreases in BMI and waist prior to cognitive assessment are associated with worse cognitive performance, which could be explained by reverse causality.

Type 2 diabetes prevalence is rising globally, and varies by socio-economic position. Amongst other factors, rising prevalence may reflect increasing incidence. Worldwide, few studies have examined population-level longitudinal trends in incident type 2 diabetes, and reports on secular trends in diabetes incidence by socio-economic measures such as educational attainment are lacking. Finland has a long-standing, comprehensive disease surveillance infrastructure. Using data collected over four decades from serial FINRISK surveys, the National Drug Reimbursement Register and the National Causes of Death Register, we examined secular trends in type 2 diabetes incidence in Finland from the 1970s to 2007. The diabetes status of 38,689 FINRISK participants aged 30–59 years at baseline assessment and without diagnosed diabetes at the time was followed for 10 years. Among men, incidence of diagnosed, pharmacologically managed type 2 diabetes increased over time. Compared with men surveyed in the 1970s, diabetes incidence was higher among men in the 1980s (adjusted HR 1.44, 95 % CI 1.13–1.84) and 1990s (adjusted HR 1.72, 1.32–2.24). Body mass index explained some, but not all of this variation. Increases occurred predominantly among men with low (adjusted HR 1980s: 2.07, 95 % CI 1.28–3.35; adjusted HR 1990s: 2.12, 95 % CI 1.28–3.53) and middle (adjusted HR 1980s: 1.30, 95 % CI 0.85–1.99; adjusted HR 1990s: 1.65, 95 % CI 1.05–2.60) educational attainment. No secular changes were apparent among women. This rising diabetes incidence among men over recent decades has occurred despite Finland’s sustained health promotion efforts. Renewed public health campaigns are urgently required. In addition to population-level initiatives, lower educational strata should be specifically targeted.

This study aimed to determine whether lifestyle intervention lasting for 4 years affected diabetes incidence, body weight, glycaemia or lifestyle over 13 years among individuals at high risk of type 2 diabetes.Overweight, middle-aged men (n = 172) and women (n = 350) with impaired glucose tolerance were randomised in 1993-1998 to an intensive lifestyle intervention group (n = 265), aiming at weight reduction, dietary modification and increased physical activity, or to a control group (n = 257) that received general lifestyle information. The primary outcome was a diagnosis of diabetes based on annual OGTTs. Secondary outcomes included changes in body weight, glycaemia, physical activity and diet. After active intervention (median 4 years, range 1-6 years), participants still free of diabetes and willing to continue their participation (200 in the intervention group and 166 in the control group) were further followed until diabetes diagnosis, dropout or the end of 2009, with a median total follow-up of 9 years and a time span of 13 years from baseline.During the total follow-up the adjusted HR for diabetes (intervention group vs control group) was 0.614 (95% CI 0.478, 0.789; p 0.001). The corresponding HR during the post-intervention follow-up was 0.672 (95% CI 0.477, 0.947; p = 0.023). The former intervention group participants sustained lower absolute levels of body weight, fasting and 2 h plasma glucose and a healthier diet. Adherence to lifestyle changes during the intervention period predicted greater risk reduction during the total follow-up.Lifestyle intervention in people at high risk of type 2 diabetes induces sustaining lifestyle change and results in long-term prevention of progression to type 2 diabetes.

To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of an active real-life primary care lifestyle intervention in preventing type 2 diabetes within a high-risk Mediterranean population.A prospective cohort study was performed in the setting of Spanish primary care. White-European individuals without diabetes aged 45-75 years (n = 2,054) were screened using the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) and a subsequent 2 h OGTT. Where feasible, high-risk individuals who were identified were allocated sequentially to standard care, a group-based or an individual level intervention (intensive reinforced DE-PLAN [Diabetes in Europe-Prevention using Lifestyle, Physical Activity and Nutritional] intervention). The primary outcome was the development of diabetes according to WHO criteria. Analyses after 4-year follow-up were performed based on the intention-to-treat principle with comparison of standard care and the combined intervention groups.The standard care (n = 219) and intensive intervention (n = 333) groups were comparable in age (62.0/62.2 years), sex (64.4/68.2% women), BMI (31.3/31.2 kg/m(2)), FINDRISC score (16.2/15.8 points), fasting (5.3/5.2 mmol/l), 2 h plasma glucose (7.1/6.9 mmol/l) and self-reported interest to make lifestyle changes at baseline. Diabetes was diagnosed in 124 individuals: 63 (28.8%) in the standard care group and 61 (18.3%) in the intensive intervention group. During a 4.2-year median follow-up, the incidences of diabetes were 7.2 and 4.6 cases per 100 person-years, respectively (36.5% relative risk reduction, p0.005). The number of participants needed to be treated by intensive intervention for 4 years to reduce one case of diabetes was 9.5.Intensive lifestyle intervention is feasible in a primary care setting and substantially reduces diabetes incidence among high-risk individuals.ClinicalTrial.gov NCT01519505.Commission of the European Communities, Institute of Health Carlos III, Spanish Ministry of Health and Department of Health, Generalitat de Catalunya.

During the past decade, improved understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of diabetes development has resulted in advances in therapeutic concepts, but has also supported the potential for diabetes prevention through nonpharmacological means. At the beginning of the century, we experienced a shift in paradigm, as landmark studies have shown that diabetes mellitus is preventable with lifestyle intervention; moderate changes in diet and physical activity produce a substantial and sustained reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) for individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. This evidence must now be translated into clinical and public-health practice, but translational studies have varied in their ability to replicate the results of clinical trials. This variation reflects a number of challenging barriers for diabetes prevention in real-world clinical practice, which makes it necessary to focus on identifying efficient intervention methods and delivery mechanisms. Research is now focusing on these mechanisms, as well as on developing efficient screening and risk-identification strategies and realistic scenarios for public-health policy to implement diabetes prevention programs. In this Review, we will discuss these mechanisms and will consider the implications of diabetes prevention for public-health strategy and policy.

Aims/hypothesis. The aim of the Diabetes Prevention Study is to assess the efficacy of an intensive diet-exercise programme in preventing or delaying Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance, to evaluate the effects of the intervention programme on cardiovascular risk factors and to assess the determinants for the progression to diabetes in persons with impaired glucose tolerance. Methods. A total of 523 overweight subjects with impaired glucose tolerance ascertained by two oral glucose tolerance tests were randomised to either a control or intervention group. The control subjects received general information at the start of the trial about the lifestyle changes necessary to prevent diabetes and about annual follow-up visits. The intervention subjects had seven sessions with a nutritionist during the first year and a visit every 3 months thereafter aimed at reducing weight, the intake of saturated fat and increasing the intake of dietary fibre. Intervention subjects were also guided individually to increase their physical activity. Results. During the first year, weight loss in the first 212 study subjects was 4.7 ± 5.5 vs 0.9 ± 4.1 kg in the intervention and control group, respectively (p < 0.001). The plasma glucose concentrations (fasting: 5.9 ± 0.7 vs 6.4 ± 0.8 mmol/l, p < 0.001; and 2-h 7.8 ± 1.8 vs 8.5 ± 2.3 mmol/l, p < 0.05) were significantly lower in the intervention group after the first year of intervention. Favourable changes were also found in blood pressure, serum lipids and anthropometric indices in the intervention group. Conclusion/interpretation. The interim results show the efficacy and feasibility of the lifestyle intervention programme. [Diabetologia (1999) 42: 793–801]

To the Editor: In an extensive review Buyken and coauthors discussed the optimal dietary approaches for the prevention of type 2 diabetes [1]. The topic is of utmost importance because of the alarming increase in obesity, cardiometabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes, the modern worldwide epidemic. The authors very briefly bypass the evidence coming from two lifestyle intervention trials, the Diabetes Prevention Study (DPS) [2] from Finland and the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) [3] from the USA, which showed a marked reduction in the incidence of diabetes both during the active intervention and the subsequent follow-up of up to 10 years [4, 5]. The authors then extensively discuss alternative diets that supposedly might be helpful in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. However, two major concerns remain after having read this review. First, the authors do not give major emphasis to evidence-based medical nutrition. In this regard, randomised controlled trials with onset of diabetes as an endpoint give the strongest evidence. But we do not yet have a definite answer to the question ‘what kind of diet is the best to prevent type 2 diabetes’, or even if such a universally superior diet exists. What we do know is that weight reduction and physical activity are the cornerstones of prevention. Weight reduction, however, is only possible with the reduction of total energy intake by dietary changes or increasing physical activity. As for the hard endpoint, the above-mentioned randomised prevention trials give the best (class A) evidence we have at the moment evidence and deserve to be cited appropriately. As for the quality of diet, we in the DPS study group originally decided to follow the general dietary recommendations for Nordic countries, with minor modifications. Information on the diets recommended and achieved in the DPS, as well as on how the goals were translated to practical dietary advice has been presented in detail [6]. The goal of total fat intake was 30% of energy (E%; intake up to 35 E% was acceptable if the surplus was monounsaturated fat), which can be considered a ‘moderate’ rather than a ‘low’ fat intake. Baseline total fat intake was 36–37 E% and intake of saturated fat 16–17 E%. After 1 and 3 years of the active intervention there was a 3.4–4.7 E% reduction in M. Uusitupa Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, 70211 Kuopio, Finland