ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and therefore represents a preventive care imperative. This chapter explores the secondary prevention of cardiometabolic-based chronic diseases in patients with T2D by focusing on two key studies. Look AHEAD was one of the first secondary prevention trials to show that an intensive lifestyle intervention involving moderate physical activity as well as dietary changes results in significant weight loss and reduced cardiovascular events. Secondary outcomes such as sleep apnea, peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and depression were visibly improved in the group undergoing an intensive lifestyle intervention. The EUROASPIRE trials analyzed the risk factors involved in cardiovascular disease. Many patients who suffered a cardiovascular event had T2D and were overweight. The nutritional components of these trials were critically important. A diet focused on portion control and high in plants or low in fat is shown to improve T2D and its complications.
