The Particulars: A lifestyle program designed to reduce weight and increase activity levels, along with use of metformin, was found to decrease the development of type 2 diabetes in a diverse group of people at high risk for the disease after 3 years follow-up in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DDP) study. The long-term effects of this program, however, have not been thoroughly explored.
Data Breakdown: As an extension of the DDP study, investigators compared interventions used in DDP with placebo after an average of 15 years. When compared with patients in the placebo group, those assigned to the lifestyle intervention arm in the DDP study had a 27% lower rate of type 2 diabetes, and those in the metformin arm had a 17% lower rate. Patients who did not develop diabetes had a 28% lower occurrence of microvascular complications that those who did develop the disease.
Take Home Pearl: Interventions designed to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes appear to remain effective even beyond 15 years.
