News Article
Athletic Club Succeeds as Resource for Diabetes Risk Reduction
The YMCA may be an effective outlet for community-based diabetes prevention, based on data from a pilot study of 92 adults who were at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Results from the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) have shown that a structured intervention plan that emphasizes lifestyle changes can reduce the risk of progression to diabetes, but it's not easy to implement these programs in busy health care settings.
To determine whether a group-based intervention taught by YMCA wellness instructors was effective at reducing the risk factors associated with diabetes, Dr. Ronald T. Ackermann and his colleagues at Indiana University in Indianapolis randomized 46 adults at risk for type 2 diabetes to a group intervention program based at a local YMCA, and 46 adults to serve as controls. Each of the control participants underwent a brief, standard counseling session at a second local YMCA about how to reduce their diabetes risk factors through diet and lifestyle changes.
To qualify for the study, participants had to have a BMI of at least 24 kg/m², a random blood glucose measure in the 110- to 199-mg/dL range, and at least two diabetes risk factors, such as high blood pressure and a high cholesterol level.
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After 6 months, intervention group members had reduced their body weights by an average of 6% from baseline, significantly more than the average reduction of 2% in the control group. Complete data were available for 39 participants in the intervention group and 38 controls.
The intervention group also had significantly greater improvements after 6 months in total cholesterol level, compared with the controls - a decrease of 22 mg/dL vs. an increase of 6 mg/dL. No significant differences were observed in other cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors, including HbA
Even after controlling for race and sex, the investigators found the differences in weight and total cholesterol remained significant after 12 months, based on data from 29 participants in the intervention group and 33 controls.
The study was limited by a short follow-up period and by its randomization of participants based on two matched locations, the researchers noted. However, "this study provides evidence that the YMCA could offer one solution for how to deliver a DPP lifestyle intervention in community settings and to achieve weight-loss levels that translate into considerable reductions in diabetes risk," they wrote.
"By lowering the cost of and expanding the accessibility to diabetes-prevention services, the YMCA may serve not only to increase the number of individuals with prediabetes who have access to and can pay for evidence-based diabetes prevention; it may also provide a compelling model for health plan reimbursement," the investigators added.
More research is needed to compare the use of multiple venues to maximize the reach of diabetes prevention programs into underserved communities, they noted.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and Indiana University. The authors disclosed no conflicts of interest.
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