Diabetes Prevention Protocol

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was a multicenter clinical trial conducted under controlled conditions for almost three years in the late 1990s and continuing on in a follow-up stage.

Goals

• The goal of the DPP study was to determine if administration of the blood glucose controlling drug metformin or lifestyle changes were beneficial in the prevention or delay of Type 2 diabetes in a population determined to be at high risk for the disease.

Patient Selection

• All study participants fell into one of the main diabetes at risk categories, including African Americans, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Native Americans as well as elderly persons.

Study Methods

• The patients were in one of three groups: placebo, metformin or lifestyle. The placebo group received a tablet with no active ingredients but they believed they were taking medication to help reduce their blood glucose. The metformin group received metformin regularly to decrease their blood sugar levels. The lifestyle group undertook 150 minutes a week of physical activity and a healthy eating program. They also needed to achieve an overall weight reduction of 7 percent.

Results

• The placebo group was the least successful in preventing diabetes, with only 11 percent diabetes free at the end of the study. The metformin group showed significant success, with 31 percent of high-risk patients diabetes free. The lifestyle group was the most successful in preventing diabetes, with 51 percent diabetes free. These results indicated that it is possible to prevent the development of diabetes even in high-risk patients.