Identification and management of prediabetes: results of the Latin America Strategic Prediabetes Meeting

To understand the status of prediabetes diagnosis and treatment in Latin America and to evaluate the use of metformin for diabetes prevention in this context. A panel of 15 diabetes experts from seven countries in Latin America met on 14 – 15 August 2014 in Lima, Peru, to review the available literature, discuss the role of prediabetes in type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, analyze collected information, and make conclusions for prediabetes diagnosis and treatment in Latin America. Prediabetes diagnosis, screening, and treatment, including lifestyle changes, pharmacological treatment, and cost-effectiveness were discussed. Five resulting statements were issued for Latin America: prediabetes is a clinical and public health problem; health care systems do not currently diagnose/treat prediabetes; use of prediabetes risk detection tools are needed region-wide; treatment includes lifestyle changes, multidisciplinary education, and metformin; and registries of patient records and further studies should be supported. The expert panel concluded that in Latin America, preventive treatment through lifestyle changes and metformin are cost-effective interventions. It is important to improve prediabetes identification and management at the primary care level.