Prevention of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is a chronic disease which may take several years to develop, presumably starting in most cases with genetic susceptibility. Development of NIDDM is influenced by obesity and physical inactivity. As these risk factors can be altered by behavioral modification, and some of the physiologic abnormalities predicting diabetes, such as insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance, can be improved by behavioral modification and with drugs, NIDDM is potentially preventable. This potential needs to be demonstrated by randomized clinical trials.