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Diabetes Prevention Program is a trial conducted by the National institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), results of the study were published in 2002. The study was conducted to assess and compare the role of lifestyle modification vis a vis medication in delaying the transition from Prediabetic to Diabetic state.
In this study 3234 nondiabetic persons with elevated fasting and post-load plasma glucose concentrations were randomly assigned to a placebo ( dummy tablets- resembling medications but actually do not have any glucose lowering effect), metformin (850 mg twice daily)- Blood glucose lowering medicine, or a lifestyle-modification program with the goals of at least a 7 percent weight loss and at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. The mean age of the participants was 51 years, and the mean body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) was 34.0; 68 percent were women, and 45 percent were members of minority groups.
All the
patients were followed-up for 2.8 years. At the end of the study period, The
incidence of diabetes was found to be least in lifestyle groups- 4.8 cases per
100 person-years .
| Placebo group | 11 cases of Diabetes per 100 person-years |
| Metformin group | 7.8 cases of Diabetes per 100 person-years |
| Lifestyle group | 4.8 cases of Diabetes per 100 person-years |
The lifestyle intervention reduced the progression of
prediabetes to diabetes by 58 percent while metformin by 31 percent , as
compared with placebo; the lifestyle intervention was significantly more
effective than metformin. To prevent one case of diabetes during a period of
three years, 6.9 persons would have to participate in the lifestyle-intervention
program, and 13.9 would have to receive metformin.
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