Personalized Approach Key to Preventing Diabetes in High-Risk Prediabetes Patients

Study finds significant variation in 5-year diabetes progression risk among prediabetes patients, suggesting need for tailored prevention strategies

Mar. 21, 2026 at 11:27am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A recent study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the risk of progressing from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes within 5 years can vary significantly among individuals, from an average of 7.5% up to 24.8% for those with high fasting blood glucose levels and other metabolic conditions. Researchers suggest that the current one-size-fits-all approach to diabetes prevention may be missing opportunities to implement more targeted strategies for high-risk prediabetes patients.

Why it matters

The increasing prevalence of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in younger adults underscores the importance of effective prevention strategies. Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious long-term health complications, so identifying those at highest risk and providing personalized interventions could help reduce the burden of this chronic disease.

The details

The study tracked 662 adults aged 18-40 diagnosed with prediabetes for an average of 7 years. Researchers found that the average 5-year risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes was 7.5%. However, the risk climbed to 15.1% for those with fasting blood glucose levels between 110-125mg/dL, and up to 24.8% for those meeting criteria for GLP-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) treatment, which includes having obesity or other metabolic conditions. Researchers suggest GLP-1 RA medications may help prevent diabetes progression in high-risk prediabetes patients, but the cost-effectiveness has not been fully verified.

  • The study was presented as preliminary data at the 2026 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Boston from March 17-20.

The players

Dr. Mary Rooney

Lead researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

American Heart Association (AHA)

Emphasizes that weight loss, balanced diet, and regular physical activity are crucial for reducing the risk of diabetes progression.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Currently, type 2 diabetes prevention strategies are essentially applied in the same way to all patients. These results display that a more actively personalized approach is needed for some high-risk groups.”

— Dr. Mary Rooney, Lead researcher

What’s next

Researchers suggest that further research is needed to verify the cost-effectiveness of using GLP-1 receptor agonist medications for diabetes prevention in high-risk prediabetes patients.

The takeaway

This study highlights the need for a more personalized approach to type 2 diabetes prevention, as individual risk levels can vary significantly even among those with prediabetes. Identifying and targeting high-risk groups with tailored interventions could be key to reducing the growing burden of this chronic disease.