Making major lifestyle changes and taking metformin both work better than a placebo pill at delaying or preventing type 2 diabetes. For many people, making major lifestyle changes works better than taking metformin to help delay or prevent type 2 diabetes, for up to 10 years. A follow-up study at 15 years showed that making major lifestyle changes was about equal to taking metformin in helping to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes.

These numbers apply to many people. But for women who have had gestational diabetes or people who have a BMI of 35 or more, either making major lifestyle changes or taking metformin works very well to delay or prevent type 2 diabetes. Many people age 60 and older benefit more from making major lifestyle changes. And many people younger than 60 benefit more from taking metformin.

For some people, making major lifestyle changes or taking metformin can help delay or prevent type 2 diabetes for up to 15 years. But doing both of these things may give you the best chance of delaying or preventing type 2 diabetes over the long term.

The information shown here is based on the best available evidence.