The Diabetes Prevention Program Services Are Commercially Reimbursed
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) sponsored a study to determine if lifestyle changes could prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. The study was called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) trial. The researchers concluded that a relatively small amount of weight loss, along with healthy eating and physical activity, can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes for people with prediabetes. Based on the trial's results, the National Diabetes Prevention Program, or National DPP, was started and led by the CDC. However, there was very little reimbursement by commercial insurers for the program. However, today, there are a number of commercial insurers reimbursing for the program.
The Diabetes Prevention Program or DPP trial was started in 1996. The trial ended in 2001. The trial was a randomized study consisting of three groups. One of the groups, called the Intensive Lifestyle Intervention group, used diet, exercise and lifestyle modification for the prediabetes treatment. One of the groups, called the Metformin group, used metformin for the treatment. And one of the groups was the Placebo group which was treated with usual care approaches. To be included in the trial, a person had to have a BMI of at least 24, except for Asian American, who needed a BMI of at least 22. Results from the study were reported in 2002.
The specific goal of the study
was to determine if individuals with
prediabetes could avoid type 2 diabetes by
losing 7% of their weight through diet,
exercise, and lifestyle modification. During
the average 2.8-year period of the
study's participants, it was concluded that the intensive
lifestyle group experienced a 58% reduction in
the incidence of type 2 diabetes, and that the
metformin group experienced a 31% reduction,
compared to the placebo group. And after ten
years, the type 2 diabetes incidence "was reduced
by 34% ... in the lifestyle group and 18% ..
in the metformin group compared with placebo."
