Healthy lifestyle decreases risk of diabetes, study finds

NEW YORK A study presented at a diabetes conference in Montreal Tuesday shows that diabetics who lead healthy lifestyles decrease their risk of dying from the disease, according to published reports.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and presented at the 20th World Diabetes Conference in Montreal, examined data from 1,177 people with diabetes and 15,217 people without it who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Those who exhibited healthy behaviors – such as healthy eating, weight control, physical activity, not smoking and moderate drinking – had a 15% reduction in the risk of dying from diabetes-related causes. Smoking and unhealthy eating increased the risk of early death in people without diabetes, though the link between diet and early death in those with diabetes was uncertain.