The Role of Screening, Risk Factors, and Early Intervention in Preventing Diabetes in the Obese Population: A Systematic Review

Abstract

With its rising global prevalence, diabetes has become one of the most significant and challenging health problems afflicting the world's population today. The increasing burden of diabetes and its associated complications calls for immediate action for prevention which primarily includes addressing the risk factors. The most significant risk factor for the onset of diabetes is obesity. Obesity and diabetes rates have been rising simultaneously, posing a threat to patient mortality and driving up community healthcare costs. A weight loss of five percent or more of total body weight has been shown to improve the quality of life, reduce the need for pharmacological therapy for diabetes, and enhance glycemic control. This level of weight loss can have significant health benefits, particularly for individuals with diabetes or at risk for developing diabetes. We aim to conduct this systematic review to assess diverse risk factors contributing to the incidence of diabetes among the obese population and determine various preventive strategies and recommendations in practice for the prevention of diabetes in this cohort. As a result, we included original studies that recruited the obese and diabetic populations and defined preventive measures for early intervention. Additionally, we included studies published in the last 10 years (2014-2024) only for the latest evidence. Studies including obese populations with cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders were excluded. The Newcastle-Ottoman Castle assessment tool was utilized to assess the quality of the studies. We included nine studies that recruited 60,645 patients and were published between 2015 and 2022. Findings suggest that obesity alone is a significant contributor to the occurrence or onset of diabetes. At the same time, the presence of other risk factors, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, elevated triglycerides, or HDL and LDL levels, may further increase the risk of diabetes and its associated complications among the obese population. Preventive strategies emphasize early intervention through increasing awareness and educating communities about risk factors and lifestyle interventions, including the limitations of fast food diets for the prevention of diabetes and weight control. Since obesity is considered to be an independent risk factor for the development of diabetes, addressing and managing it is of critical importance clinically. Targeted early interventions, including screening for risk factors, health promotion, and education activities, can aid in the adaptation of healthier lifestyles, which can reduce the burden of these diseases significantly.

Keywords: diabetes; diabetes type 2; intervention; obesity; prevention; risk factors.

Figure 1. PRISMA flowchart

PRISMA: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses