R. Rajagopalan
Kallam Anji Reddy Centre, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai, India
drrajagopalan@mdrf.in

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Abstract

Abnormal intake and utility of carbohydrate and fat disrupt metabolic balance, leading to disorders such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, which are collectively known as “metabolic syndrome”. A conspicuous increase in features of the metabolic syndrome has conspired to produce an epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity and cardiovascular diseases worldwide.
The current diabetes IDF atlas clearly indicates that populous countries like India and china are dubiously acquiring the status of diabetes capital. The current therapeutic interventions are quite inadequate in addressing the preventive aspect of metabolic syndrome. Hence, many studies like DPP, FINNISH and IDPP have been initiated to understand lifestyle intervention as preventive strategy for the management of diabetes.
Studies did reveal a significant impact on the incidence, progression and other complications of diabetes as compared to drug treatment. Many short term studies related to traditional Indian system of medicine such as yoga, Ayurveda etc have normalized elevated plasma glucose concentrations in the fasting state and impaired glucose tolerance, over weight and a sedentary life in diabetic patients.
The reduction in sympathetic nerve activity, mental stress and free radical generation and activation of AMP kinase may be responsible for this activity. Nevertheless, the long term controlled, adequately powered study is essential to substantiate these findings. Madras Diabetes Research Foundation has initiated a few low cost and sustainable lifestyle intervention studies such as “Diabetes Community Lifesytle Improvement program” (D-CLIP) and “ORANGE” (Obesity Reduction and Awareness of Non-communicable diseases through Group Education) for the prevention of Type 2 diabetes in pre-diabetic population in Chennai. In this presentation, details of lifestyle changes as potential options for prevention, progression and treatment of metabolic syndrome will be discussed.