Older men and women can spare themselves the ravages of diabetes by fine-tuning their lifestyles, scientists at Harvard Medical School said in a recent study. Among their recommendations: Engage in physical activity every day. Follow sound dietary practices. Quit using tobacco. If you have excess body fat, lose it. Limit your alcohol intake.

For 10 years, the Harvard researchers tracked the lifestyle habits of more than 4,800 men and women age 65 or older. They found that older people who followed the recommendations above were 89 percent less likely to develop diabetes.The study was published April 27 in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.

Scientists say there's a strong connection between Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  A study that monitored nurses' health found that women with diabetes had 4 times the risk of heart attack and 2 times the risk of stroke, when compared to nondiabetics.

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