The Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy Scripts: Diabetes Prevention Programs and a Pharmacist's Perspective

摘要

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition characterized by elevated blood glucose levels that if not controlled, can lead to significant complications such as heart attack and stroke.1 Prediabetes is a stage in which the blood glucose is elevated but not at the severity of type 2 diabetes.1 Both type 2 diabetes and prediabetes increase the risk of heart attack and stroke1 However, unlike diabetes, which is rarely reversed even at early stages, prediabetes isreversible.1 The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was first initiated in 1996, when the first clinical trial was conducted.2 This trial compared metformin against lifestyle intervention of 5%-7% of weight loss with 150 minutes of physical activity per week in patients with prediabetes, and found that the risk of developing type 2 diabetes was lowered by 31% in the metformin group and 58% in the lifestyle group.2 This study helped with the implementation of the National DPP in 2010, which mimics the lifestyle interventions shown to decrease the risk of developing diabetes.1 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National DPP partners with public and private organizations to help patients with prediabetes implement evidence-based lifestyle modifications to delay or prevent their chances of developing type 2 diabetes.