PREVIEW · PREVention of diabetes through lifestyle Intervention and population studies in Europe and around the World

The primary goal of PREVIEW is to identify the most efficient lifestyle pattern for the prevention of type-2 diabetes in a population of pre-diabetic overweight or obese individuals. The project comprises two distinct lines of evidence, both embracing European and overseas countries:1) A multicentre, clinical randomized intervention trial with a total of 2,500 pre-diabetic participants, including children and adolescents, adults and elderly. The duration will be 3 years for the adults and elderly, and 2 years for the children and adolescents.2) Large population studies using data from all age groups.Focus in both lines of evidence will be on diet (specifically protein and glycemic index) and intensity of physical activity, as well as their interaction with the lifestyle factors, habitual stress and sleeping pattern as well as behavioural, environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic variables.PREVIEW will significantly increase our knowledge on how specific lifestyle factors can help preventing type-2 diabetes. Type-2 diabetes accounts for about 90% of all cases of diabetes, primarily caused by the worldwide obesity epidemic. Diabetes is a costly disease and according to WHO, the direct health care costs of diabetes range from 2.5% to 15% of annual national health care budgets. This worrying trend calls for action and a need for a variety of innovative approaches. PREVIEW aims to be such an innovative attempt including all necessary disciplines and stakeholders, who can contribute to developing new ways for the prevention of this wide-spread life-style related disease.The strategic impact of PREVIEW concerns the massive problems associated with the global diabesity epidemic (obesity and type-2 diabetes) and therefore includes partners from Europe (East, West, North and South) and Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. PREVIEW will thereby contribute to improving health over the life-span of the population in Europe as well as worldwide. Overall the public health and socio-economic impact of PREVIEW is expected to be very significant.