Adherence
Adopting three or four healthy behaviors (increased physical activity, reduced alcohol, improved diet) within the first year of type 2 diabetes diagnosis significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease events over five years.
Within the first year of your type 2 diabetes diagnosis, focus on making three key lifestyle changes: move more (aim for about an hour of brisk walking daily), cut back on alcohol, and improve your diet by eating more fiber and fruits/vegetables while reducing total fat and calories. Doing these three or four things together can significantly lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes over the next five years, even if you are taking medication.
The relative risk (95% CI) for primary CVD event in individuals who did not change any health behavior compared to those who adopted three/four healthy behaviors was 4.17 (1.02 to 17.09)... Cardiovascular disease risk was inversely associated with the number of healthy behaviour changes adopted in the year following diagnosis of diabetes.
Why this rating
Prospective cohort study with long follow-up (5.1 years) and robust adjustment for confounders, though not a randomized controlled trial of the behavior itself.
Source
Healthy Behavior Change and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic Patients: A Cohort Analysis of the ADDITION-Cambridge Study
Gráinne H. Long et al. · Diabetes Care · 2014
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