British people with HIV who were prediabetic and participated in a nutritionist intervention lowered their risk of developing diabetes on numerous counts, aidsmap reports.

Publishing their findings in Diabetic Medicine, investigators enrolled in a study 28 people with HIV who had prediabetes according to their fasting glucose levels (6.0 to 6.9 millimoles per liter). The participants received six monthly 30-minute counseling sessions with a nutritionist to strategize about making lifestyle changes to reduce diabetes risk.

The participants had an average age of 54 years old. Three quarters of them were male.

At the study’s outset, the participants had an average body mass index of 30.5 (above 30 equals obesity). Fifty-seven percent had high blood pressure, 79 percent had metabolic syndrome, 61 percent had hepatic steatosis and 4 percent had cardiovascular disease.

At the six-month point, the participants’ diabetes risk factors had improved according to the following measures: fasting glucose declined 7.9 percent; glucose incremental area under the curve in a meal tolerance test declined 17.6 percent; fasting insulin declined 22.7 percent; insulin incremental area under the curve in a meal tolerance test declined 31.4 percent; weight declined 4.6 percent; waist circumference declined 6.2 percent; systolic blood pressure declined 7.4 percent; and triglycerides declined 36.7 percent.

To read the aidsmap article, click here.

To read the study, click here.