Diabetes and metabolic health Archive

Being mindful of how various factors affect blood sugar levels can help people avoid fatigue, curb cravings, boost mood, and manage weight. Blood sugar spikes after people eat carbohydrate-heavy foods, soon dropping again. Eating balanced meals and snacks that include protein, fat, and carbohydrates can maintain more stable blood sugar levels. People can keep blood sugar levels consistent by timing meals, practicing portion control, prioritizing healthy foods, staying active, avoiding smoking, and keeping a food log.

In a 2025 study of nearly a million people with diabetes, those who took GLP-1 drugs had a reduction of 10% to 20% in heart failure, cardiac arrest, lung failure and pneumonia, and dementia, compared with people who took other diabetes medications.

People with prediabetes may be able to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes with 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, says a 2025 study. Exercise can help lower blood sugar and excess weight, the main risk factors for progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.

Someone with a new diagnosis of diabetes might feel overwhelmed by the many strategies required to help control the disease. It helps to add several experts to the care team. Soon after a diagnosis, it's a good idea to schedule appointments with a dietitian, an eye doctor, an endocrinologist, and a certified diabetes educator. It's also helpful to add other experts as needed to the team, such as a physical therapist, a podiatrist, a social worker or an aging life care manager, and a certified health coach.

For people with diabetes, a modified version of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet can lower their blood pressure. Called DASH4D, it has fewer carbohydrates, more unsaturated fat, and slightly reduced amounts of potassium.

Semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist used to treat diabetes and obesity, may also help people with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, a severe stage of fatty liver disease, suggests a 2025 study.

Metabolic syndrome is defined as having at least three of the following: abdominal obesity, high blood triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and low HDL cholesterol levels. The condition significantly increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney disease, fatty liver disease, and sleep apnea. While each factor is problematic, the main driver is abdominal obesity, from visceral fat surrounding internal organs. The best way to reduce visceral fat is aerobic exercise, strength training, and a plant-based diet.