Study Finds Lifestyle Changes Delay Onset of Diabetes by Four Years
An
ongoing research study has found that patients who adopted a healthier
lifestyle have a 34 percent lower risk of developing diabetes. Those
patients who embraced the lifestyle changes also experienced drops in
heart disease risk factors including blood pressure, cholesterol and
triglycerides. The study, sponsored by the National Institutes of
Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health
Service, and the American Diabetes Association, was conducted in 27
centers nationwide and included over 3,800 patients who were at a high
risk of acquiring the disease. The Diabetes Prevention Program
Outcomes Study (DPPOS) is a continuation of the Diabetes Prevention
Program (DPP) which began in 1996. DPPOS will continue through 2013.
Jefferson trial site Principal Investigator Serge Jabbour, M.D.,
Interim Director, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolic
Diseases Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University and his
co-authors report their findings in the October 29th online edition of
the The Lancet.
“Diabetes
has become a problem of literally epidemic proportions here in the
United States,” said Jabbour. “This study shows that people at high
risk can delay the onset of this disease for years by embracing some
moderate lifestyle changes. This delay can save both the patient and
the healthcare industry millions of dollars in treatment and
resources.”
Originally
the DPP primary goal was to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes in people
with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). People who have IGT are at
elevated risk of developing diabetes. Those initial results found a 58
percent reduction in patients who adopted the lifestyle changes. Due to
this success the DPP was continued under the DPPOS. 88 percent of the
DPP patients continued being monitored under the DPPOS, which along
with looking at delaying diabetes, also looked at complications of
diabetes including kidney, eye, nerve and heart function.
“After
10 years of these combined studies our results point to weight loss
being the key to delaying the onset of diabetes,” said Jabbour. “We
lost some points percentage wise as the trial proceeded due to a number
of external factors, including attrition, however, the numbers we do
have after 10 years are outstanding. Plus we now have some positive
data regarding diabetes complications that we are working on. We were
excited to see that diabetes-related heart risks dropped in all our
study participants.”
The
randomized clinical trial assigned high risk patients to one of three
groups. The first group changed their lifestyle, watching their diet
and getting some moderate exercise. The second group was assigned a
regiment of the drug Metformin, an oral diabetes drug that helps
control blood sugar levels. This group was also a success. Patients in
this group delayed the onset of diabetes by two years. The third group
was used as a control group.
Diabetes frequency after 10 years was 52 percent for placebo, 47 percent for Metformin and 42 percent for lifestyle.
“After
10 years those 10 percentage points between the lifestyle group and the
placebo group are pretty big and we believe the key was weight loss,”
said Jabbour. “By reducing total calories and getting some exercise
patients in the lifestyle group fared better than the other two groups.
As we continue the study in the coming years we’re going to be looking
at eye complications and doing both cognitive and physical function
testing.”
The DPPOS will continue until December 2013.
Media Only Contact:
Richard Cushman
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Phone: (215) 955-6300
Published: 10/28/2009