Andrea Glenn, an assistant professor at NYU Steinhardt, has just helped uncover something that could shift how millions of women think about preventing type 2 diabetes. A sweeping study of nearly 20,000 postmenopausal women tracked over 16 years found that sticking to eight heart-healthy habits reduces diabetes risk by 57%—a finding that challenges the narrow focus on sugar and instead points to something far more empowering: the habits women can control right now, no matter their age.
The research, published in Diabetology, analyzed data from the Women's Health Initiative, a long-term study that has been tracking health outcomes since 1993. Glenn and her team looked at Life's Essential 8 (LE8), a framework created by the American Heart Association that measures eight key factors: diet quality, regular exercise, quitting tobacco, getting adequate sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, and managing cholesterol, blood sugar, and blood pressure. They scored participants from 0 to 100, with higher scores reflecting better health habits.
What makes this finding remarkable is not just the scale of the risk reduction, but its consistency. Of the 19,403 women studied, 20% developed type 2 diabetes over the follow-up period. But those women who scored in the highest LE8 category—meaning they adhered most closely to these eight habits—had dramatically lower rates. Two factors stood out as particularly protective: managing blood sugar and maintaining a healthy weight, with waist circumference of 31.5 inches or less showing especially strong protection.
The researchers also looked at a simplified version using five lifestyle factors (LE5)—diet, exercise, smoking, sleep, and BMI—across a larger group of nearly 100,000 women. Even with this reduced set of measures, women in the highest category still saw a 40% lower risk of developing diabetes. "Our findings suggest that the same factors we often talk about for heart health may also be important for diabetes prevention and remain relevant across the aging process," Glenn said. "It is never too late to benefit from improving your cardiovascular health."
Age and ethnicity emerged as important factors in how protective these habits were. Women younger than 60 saw the lowest diabetes risk when they maintained high scores, suggesting that early intervention matters. Hispanic women showed a greater risk reduction with higher scores, a finding that could help tailor prevention strategies for communities disproportionately affected by diabetes.
The implications are both hopeful and practical. Rather than singling out sugar or one factor, this research suggests that small improvements across multiple areas—sleeping better, moving more, eating well, managing stress through healthy habits—work together to protect health. Glenn's next goal is to see whether these eight factors can become a practical framework for diabetes prevention in clinical and public health settings, and whether real-world interventions designed to improve LE8 scores can actually lower diabetes risk in everyday life.
For women navigating the transitions of middle age and beyond, the message is clear: it's not about perfection in one area. It's about steady, sustainable progress across the habits that protect the heart and, as it turns out, the whole body.