The effect of metformin and intensive lifestyle intervention on the metabolic syndrome: the Diabetes Prevention Program randomized trial
In the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) cohort, a 7% weight loss plus 150 minutes of exercise per week reduced the incidence of the metabolic syndrome by 41% in three years. DPP was primarily designed to evaluate the efficacy of two interventions, intensive lifestyle changes and metformin 850 mg twice daily, in preventing development of type 2 diabetes in subjects with impaired fasting glucose. In the main analysis, both interventions prevented diabetes, but lifestyle changes were more effective than metformin. The same was true for prevention of the metabolic syndrome, with metformin reducing incidence of the syndrome by 17% in three years.
Authors: Orchard TJ, Temprosa M, Goldberg R, Haffner S, Ratner R, Marcovina S, Fowler S; Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group
PMID/ref: Ann Intern Med 2005;142:611-9



















