Which is more effective to treat Insulin Resistance: Diet & Exercise or Metformin?
I know diabetes management requires Metformin but I'm talking about pre-diabetes - Insulin resistance with a family history of type II diabetes.
Diet & Exercise
1200 calorie diet, 5 small meals a day, low glycemic index foods, less than 100g carbohydrates daily, 60 mins jog 6 days a week
Metformin
250mg daily
Diet and exercise.
The first line treatment of type 2 Diabetes is diet, weight control and exercise. You are only given medication if your blood sugar levels remain high despite lifestyle changes such as I have mentioned. Although there is a family tendency with type 2 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is generally associated with being overweight and mainly affects people aged >40. It occurs overtime, not not overnight.
It was your question I answered the other day about PCOS wasn't it? You are not taking Metformin at the moment for Type 2 Diabetes Prophylaxis. The reason you are taking Metform is because you have PCOS. Metformin is commonly given to people suffering from PCOS because women with PCOS are usually insulin resistant. This basically means that cells in your body are resistant to the effect of a normal level of insulin, so more insulin is produced to keep the blood sugar normal and it's this raised level of insulin in the bloodstream that is thought to be the main underlying reason why PCOS develops.
The raised level of insulin causes the ovaries to make too much testosterone. A high level of insulin and testosterone interfere with the normal development of follicles in the ovaries. As a result of this, many follicles tend to develop but often do not develop fully. This causes problems with ovulation; hence period problems and reduced fertility one often gets with PCOS.
Metformin is a drug that is commonly used to treat people with type 2 diabetes. It makes the body's cells more sensitive to insulin. This may result in a decrease in the blood level of insulin which may help to counteract the underlying cause of PCOS, this is why you have been prescribed it.
Having PCOS does mean that you are at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes though. The best exercise you can do is aerobic exercise or basically anything that works the large groups of muscles such as your legs, arms and shoulders etc. In answer to your question; The best thing you can do right now to prevent diabetes later down the line is staying as close to your ideal weight as possible and exercise.
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