Exercise or pills? study pits walking against metformin for prediabetes

NCT ID NCT07061496

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This completed study compared moderate exercise (like brisk walking) with the drug metformin in 226 adults with prediabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to either exercise for 30-45 minutes, 5 days a week, or take metformin twice daily for 12 weeks. Researchers measured changes in blood sugar (HbA1c) and weight to see which approach worked better in a real-world, low-resource community setting.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

metformin

What this could lead to

If it works, this could show that exercise is as good as or better than metformin for controlling blood sugar in prediabetes, offering a low-cost option.

What could go wrong

This is a small, completed trial in one community, so results may not apply broadly. Also, open-label design means participants knew their group, which can bias results.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

glucose intolerance Motor Activity prediabetes syndrome

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Department of Preventive Medicine, Combined Military Hospital Nowshera

    Nowshera, 25770, Pakistan