Results of the largest and longest running study of people with type 2 diabetes should change the way the disease is routinely treated and significantly improve the quality of life for many with the disease, experts say. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study, published in the current issue of The Lancet, found that intensive early treatment to keep blood sugar levels within a normal range can reduce by 25 per cent the damage to the small blood vessels of eyes and kidneys that is associated with diabetes.