The Latest Medical News

A Summary of The Latest Medical News: Following a calorie-restricted Mediterranean-style diet, combined with moderate exercise and professional weight-loss support, significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes compared to following a traditional Mediterranean diet alone. This groundbreaking finding comes from PREDIMED-Plus, the largest nutrition and lifestyle randomized trial ever conducted in Europe, which tracked nearly 5,000 participants over six years. The comprehensive study, published in Annals of Internal Medicine in August 2025, reveals a striking 31% reduction in type 2 diabetes risk for those who adopted the enhanced lifestyle intervention[1][2]. This represents a major breakthrough in diabetes prevention, offering what researchers call the "highest-level evidence" that modest, sustained changes in diet and lifestyle could prevent millions of cases worldwide[1]. ## The Recipe for Success The intervention group followed a specific protocol that went beyond simply eating Mediterranean-style foods. Participants reduced their daily caloric intake by approximately 600 calories, engaged in moderate physical activity including brisk walking and strength and balance exercises, and received ongoing professional support for weight loss control[1][2]. The control group, by contrast, followed a traditional Mediterranean diet without calorie restrictions, exercise guidance, or professional support. The results were measurable and meaningful. The intervention group lost an average of 3.3 kilograms (about 7.3 pounds) and reduced their waist circumference by 3.6 centimeters, compared to minimal changes of 0.6 kilograms and 0.3 centimeters in the control group[1]. More importantly, the risk curves for developing diabetes began diverging within just six months, demonstrating relatively quick benefits from the lifestyle changes[4]. ## A Global Health Solution Type 2 diabetes represents a growing global epidemic that significantly impairs health and quality of life. The disease has experienced a notable increase in recent years, paralleling the obesity epidemic worldwide[3]. This makes the findings particularly timely and relevant for public health initiatives. Professor Frank Hu from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health emphasized the public health impact: "In practical terms, adding calorie control and physical activity to the Mediterranean diet prevented around three out of every 100 people from developing diabetes—a clear, measurable benefit for public health"[1]. This translates to preventing approximately 3 cases of diabetes for every 100 people who follow the enhanced intervention. ## How the Mediterranean Diet Works The Mediterranean diet emphasizes high intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, moderate intake of dairy and lean proteins, and little to no intake of red meat. Previous research has already linked this dietary pattern to better health outcomes, including lowered risk of type 2 diabetes through improved insulin sensitivity and reduced inflammation[1]. The PREDIMED-Plus study builds on the earlier PREDIMED study (2003-2010), which demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts reduces cardiovascular disease risk by 30%[2]. The new findings show that the Mediterranean diet works synergistically with calorie control and physical activity to further enhance metabolic benefits. ## A Practical Approach to Prevention This research represents the first time that the combination of Mediterranean diet and exercise has been proven to reduce diabetes risk in such a large-scale, rigorous clinical trial[3]. The study involved 4,746 participants aged 55 to 75 years who were overweight or obese with metabolic syndrome but had no history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes at the start[1][2]. Professor Miguel Ruiz-Canela from the University of Navarra, who served as first author of the study, described the approach as "a tasty, sustainable and culturally accepted approach that offers a practical and effective way to prevent type 2 diabetes—a global disease that is, to a large extent, avoidable"[2]. The intervention can be integrated into primary care settings as a sustainable, cost-efficient strategy to prevent type 2 diabetes on a large scale. The PREDIMED-Plus trial, which ran from 2013 to 2024, received more than €15 million in funding, primarily from the Carlos III Health Institute and the Center for Biomedical Research Network in Spain, with initial support from a €2 million European Research Council Advanced Grant[2]. The collaborative effort involved more than 200 researchers from 23 universities, hospitals, and research centers, working across over 100 primary care centers of the Spanish National Health System. Help with your insurance? https://tally.so/r/n012P9