Many of the therapeutic goals of diabetes care, such as lifestyle changes for weight management and medication adherence,
are also effective for diabetes prevention. The diabetes educator can play a critical role in identifying and educating individuals
at high risk for type 2 diabetes. Early detection of high-risk status provides an opportunity for early intervention and long-term
health promotion. The diabetes educator is in a unique position to facilitate and support individual’s efforts in implementing
a diabetes prevention plan. The Diabetes Prevention Program – a national clinical trial sponsored by the National Institute
of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases – showed that a lifestyle intervention with the goal of moderate weight loss (5–10
of body weight) and increasing physical activity (150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week) are recommended for
prevention of type 2 diabetes. The study also showed that pharmacologic treatment with metformin has also shown a degree of
effectiveness for diabetes prevention in certain individuals. Prevention of type 2 diabetes can help alleviate the human and
economic toll of this chronic disease which has become a worldwide epidemic.
Keywords Pre-Diabetes - Impaired Glucose Tolerance - Oral Glucose Tolerance Test - Diabetes Prevention Program - Lifestyle Intervention