This original research was presented at the 76th Scientific Sessions in New Orleans in June 2016 from Jothydev’s Diabetes Research Centre, Kerala. The first degree relatives of patients with diabetes were advised to perform lab tests to diagnose prediabetes or established diabetes for effective interventions. This is a retrospective analysis of follow-up data of subjects with prediabetes, who came to the centre in years 2010- 2012, and were subjected to diet and exercise counseling with or without medication. Counseling via telephone once every 2 months followed this protocol. Inclusion criteria were HbA1c between 5.7 and 6.4, age between 21 and 70, and no history of diabetes.

Data of 121 patients was analyzed (71 male), of which 51% was lost to follow-up. Of the 62 patients followed up with counseling and treatment, 25% developed diabetes. The difference in time to disease progression was different by gender, while poorly significant (log rank test P=0.07), with Kaplan-Meier survival probability estimates lower for males.(Figure 1)

The progression of prediabetes to diabetes is fastest in the South Asian population. However, with a structured lifestyle intervention, progression from prediabetes to diabetes was effectively halted in 75% of the subjects which signifies the impact of intensive lifestyle modifications in prevention of progression of prediabetes to diabetes.

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