Project

Prevention of diabetes through lifestyle intervention and population studies in Europe

The PREVIEW project consists of a large intervention study comparing two diets and two exercise strategies, as well as population observational studies providing insights into the role of sleep, habitual stress and other lifestyle factors. Goal is to identify the most efficient dietary and exercise strategies for the prevention of diabetes.

Diabetes is a costly disease and according to WHO, the direct health care costs of diabetes range from 2.5% to 15% of annual national health care budgets. Type-2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of all cases of diabetes, primarily caused by the worldwide obesity epidemic. This worrying trend calls for action and a need for a variety of innovative approaches.

The project comprises two distinct lines of evidence, both embracing European and overseas countries:

  1. A multicentre, clinical randomized intervention trial of 3 year duration with a total of 2500 pre-diabetic participants, including children and adolescents, adults and elderly.
  2. Large population studies using data from all age groups.

The focus in both lines of evidence will be on diet (specifically protein and glycemic index) and intensity of physical activity, and their interaction with lifestyle factors, habitual stress and sleeping pattern, as well as behavioural, environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic variables.

The PREVIEW project receives funding from:

More research: Nutrition, obesity and the metabolic syndrome