Browse the evidence

Focusing on overall diet patterns (e.g., Mediterranean or DASH) significantly reduces cardiovascular disease and diabetes risk, whereas focusing on isolated nutrient targets (e.g., low-fat or low-saturated fat) produces no significant clinical benefits.

Stop counting calories or obsessing over fat grams. Instead, build your meals around whole, minimally processed foods: vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and fish. Limit processed meats, refined grains, and added sugars. This pattern, like the Mediterranean or DASH diet, is proven to prevent heart disease and diabetes better than any single-nutrient restriction.

Bariatric surgery (gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy) combined with intensive medical therapy achieves significantly better glycemic control and greater weight loss than intensive medical therapy alone in obese patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.

For obese individuals with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes, bariatric surgery (gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy) combined with intensive medical care is significantly more effective at achieving normal blood sugar levels and weight loss than intensive medical care alone. Surgery also reduces the need for diabetes, lipid, and blood pressure medications. While surgery carries risks, this study found no deaths or life-threatening complications at 12 months, suggesting it is a viable and superior option for achieving glycemic control in this population.

A structured lifestyle intervention targeting a 7% weight loss and 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week significantly reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals with impaired glucose tolerance.

To prevent diabetes, aim to lose 7% of your body weight and get 150 minutes of moderate exercise (like brisk walking) each week. Start by tracking fat intake to make it easier, then add calorie tracking if needed. Use a scale and a food/activity log to monitor progress. If you slip up, don't quit; just get back on track. Consistency over perfection is key.

Reducing waist circumference through lifestyle interventions (diet and/or exercise) is a critical and effective strategy for reducing cardiometabolic risk and mortality, independent of total body weight loss.

Aim to reduce your waist circumference through moderate exercise and healthy eating. This specific reduction lowers your risk of heart disease and diabetes, even if the scale doesn't move much.

An intensive, individualized lifestyle intervention combining moderate-intensity physical activity and a diet reducing saturated fat and total energy intake significantly reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals with impaired glucose tolerance.

If you are overweight and have impaired glucose tolerance, you can significantly lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by making specific lifestyle changes. Focus on losing more than 5% of your body weight, eating a diet with less than 30% of calories from fat (and less than 10% from saturated fat), and getting at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every day. Individualized counseling and support can help you achieve these goals.

Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation significantly reduces total and cardiovascular mortality in patients with coronary heart disease when followed for 12 months or longer.

If you have coronary heart disease, participating in a structured exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation program for at least 12 months significantly lowers your risk of dying from heart-related causes. While it may not prevent heart attacks or the need for procedures like stents, it saves lives. Ensure you are referred to a program, as access can be difficult.

Higher current Body Mass Index (BMI) is the dominant risk factor for non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) in men, with risk increasing continuously and markedly at BMI levels ≥29.0 kg/m², even after controlling for fat distribution.

Maintaining a BMI below 24.0 kg/m² is the most effective strategy for preventing type 2 diabetes in men. Risk increases continuously with weight, meaning that even modest weight gain or being in the 'normal' weight range (24-29 kg/m²) carries elevated risk compared to leaner weights. Focus on preventing weight gain throughout adulthood rather than just treating obesity after it occurs.

Absolute weight gain throughout adulthood and early adult obesity (BMI at age 21) are significant independent risk factors for diabetes, with risk increasing steadily with the amount of weight gained regardless of starting BMI.

Preventing weight gain after early adulthood is crucial for diabetes prevention. Even if you are not currently obese, gaining significant weight (e.g., >11 kg or 24 lbs) since your 20s significantly increases your risk. Aim to attain a healthy weight (BMI <24) early in life and maintain it.

Strict glycemic control, blood pressure management, and lipid control significantly reduce the risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications in people with existing diabetes.

If you have diabetes, managing your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol is critical to preventing serious health issues like heart disease, kidney failure, and blindness. Aim for tight control of these three metrics, as doing so can significantly lower your risk of complications.

Increasing vegetable and fruit consumption reduces the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke, with evidence rated as convincing.

Aim to eat at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruit every day. This is one of the most effective dietary changes you can make to lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Focus on variety and consistency rather than perfection.

Consuming fructose-sweetened beverages (providing 25% of energy requirements) for 10 weeks increases visceral adiposity, hepatic de novo lipogenesis, and dyslipidemia, and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese adults, whereas glucose-sweetened beverages do not produce these specific adverse metabolic effects despite similar total weight gain.

If you are overweight or obese, replacing glucose or sucrose with high-fructose beverages (like those sweetened with HFCS or pure fructose) at levels providing 25% of your daily energy can significantly increase belly fat and liver fat, even if your total weight stays the same. This happens because fructose is metabolized differently, driving fat production in the liver. To protect your metabolic health, limit fructose-sweetened beverages, as they pose a specific risk for visceral fat and insulin resistance that glucose does not.

GLP-1 receptor agonists treat type-2 diabetes and obesity by mimicking the endogenous hormone GLP-1, which stimulates glucose-dependent insulin secretion, slows gastric emptying, and inhibits food intake.

GLP-1 receptor agonists are effective, FDA-approved treatments for type-2 diabetes and obesity. They work by mimicking a natural gut hormone to increase insulin, slow digestion, and reduce appetite. Consult a doctor to see if a GLP-1 based medication is appropriate for your health profile.

Sleep deprivation significantly impairs human functioning, with partial sleep deprivation having a more profound negative effect on mood and cognitive performance than short-term or long-term total sleep deprivation.

Prioritize sleep duration and consistency. Partial sleep deprivation (sleeping less than 5 hours in 24 hours) is more damaging to your mood and cognitive abilities than staying awake for 45+ hours. Do not underestimate the functional cost of cutting sleep short; it degrades performance significantly.

Obesity increases the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a curvilinear manner, with relative risk increasing 40-fold at a BMI of 35 kg/m2 compared to a BMI of 22 kg/m2.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is the most effective way to prevent type 2 diabetes. The risk of developing diabetes increases dramatically as your BMI rises, especially above 35 kg/m2. Losing even a modest amount of weight (5-11 kg) can significantly reduce your risk.

Substituting nonhydrogenated unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) for saturated and trans-fats significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease, whereas simply lowering total fat percentage without regard to fat quality does not improve lipid profiles or reduce CHD incidence.

To protect your heart, stop focusing on cutting total fat. Instead, swap out saturated fats (found in red meat, butter) and trans-fats (found in some processed foods) for unsaturated fats (found in olive oil, nuts, fish). This specific substitution, rather than just eating 'low fat', is what actually lowers your risk of heart disease.

High intake of trans-fatty acids significantly increases the risk of coronary heart disease and cardiac arrest, independent of saturated fat intake, by raising LDL-C, lowering HDL-C, and promoting insulin resistance.

Avoid foods with 'partially hydrogenated oils' on the ingredient list. These trans-fats are twice as harmful to your cholesterol levels as saturated fats. Replace them with natural oils like olive or canola oil.

A dietary pattern high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains, and low in refined grains, significantly reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

Build your meals around fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. Limit refined grains like white bread and pasta. This pattern, combined with exercise and not smoking, can prevent most heart disease.

High levels of leisure-time physical activity (90th percentile vs 10th) are associated with a significantly lower risk of 13 specific cancer types, including esophageal adenocarcinoma, liver, lung, kidney, gastric cardia, endometrial, myeloid leukemia, myeloma, colon, head and neck, rectal, bladder, and breast cancer.

Engaging in high levels of leisure-time physical activity (moderate to vigorous intensity, such as brisk walking or running) is strongly associated with a reduced risk of developing 13 common types of cancer, including breast, colon, lung, and kidney cancer. This benefit exists independently of weight loss for most cancers, meaning you should prioritize consistent physical activity for cancer prevention regardless of your current body weight.

High levels of sedentary behavior (total sitting or TV viewing) are independently associated with increased risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, and incident type 2 diabetes, even after adjusting for physical activity levels.

Sitting for more than 6-8 hours a day increases your risk of early death and heart disease, even if you exercise. Try to break up long periods of sitting with standing or light movement, as exercise alone may not fully counteract these risks.

Regular physical activity of varying intensities (from low-intensity walking to vigorous sports and resistance exercises) reduces the risk of major cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease, obesity, falls, cognitive impairment, osteoporosis, and muscular weakness in older adults.

Start moving regularly. You don't need to be a master athlete. Walking, resistance exercises, and even vigorous sports can improve your health, reduce disease risk, and help you stay independent. If you are frail, start with moderate intensity and build up. The key is consistency and safety, not extreme intensity. Talk to your doctor if you have concerns, but know that exercise is generally safe and beneficial for older adults.

Replacing dietary saturated fat with polyunsaturated vegetable oils significantly reduces cardiovascular disease incidence by approximately 30%, an effect comparable to statin treatment.

To lower your risk of heart disease, swap foods high in saturated fats (like butter, lard, and fatty meats) for foods high in polyunsaturated fats (like corn, soybean, and safflower oils). Do not replace these fats with refined carbs or sugars, as that offers no heart benefit. This change should be part of an overall healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet.

Selenium deficiency can lead to specific diseases such as Keshan disease (cardiomyopathy) and myxedematous cretinism, which can be prevented or reversed by selenium supplementation, particularly when iodine levels are restored.

If you live in an area known for selenium-poor soil, be mindful of your selenium intake. Incorporate selenium-rich foods like Brazil nuts, fish, and eggs into your diet. For severe deficiency-related conditions like Keshan disease, medical supervision is essential, and treatment may require specific supplementation protocols.

Total physical activity reduces the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and ischemic stroke, with the majority of health gains occurring at lower activity levels (up to 3000-4000 MET minutes/week) and diminishing returns at higher levels.

Aim for at least 600 MET minutes of total physical activity per week, which is the current WHO minimum. This can be achieved through a mix of moderate (e.g., brisk walking) and vigorous (e.g., running) activities, as well as daily tasks like gardening or transportation. You will see the biggest drop in risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke by reaching 3000-4000 MET minutes/week. Going beyond this yields smaller additional benefits, so focus on consistency and incorporating activity into all parts of your day (work, home, travel) rather than just gym sessions.

Metformin is the first-line therapy for Type 2 Diabetes, improving glycemic control, increasing insulin sensitivity, and reducing cardiovascular risk and mortality.

Metformin is the standard first-line medication for Type 2 Diabetes. It helps lower blood sugar, improves how your body uses insulin, and uniquely protects your heart and blood vessels, potentially extending your life. It is generally well-tolerated, though some people experience stomach upset initially. It is not suitable for those with significant kidney problems.