ALEXANDRIA, VA, Jan 24, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) —
Lifestyle counseling, practiced as part of routine care for people
with diabetes, helps people more quickly lower blood glucose, blood
pressure and cholesterol levels and keep them under control,
according to a large, long-term study published in the February issue
of Diabetes Care.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston conducted a
retrospective cohort study of more than 30,000 people with diabetes
who received diet, exercise and weight loss counseling in a primary
care setting over the course of at least two years (with an average
follow-up time of almost seven years) and who had elevated blood
glucose, blood pressure or cholesterol. They found that the use of
counseling reduced the time it took for patients to lower blood
glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Previous studies have
documented the success of counseling in a clinical trial setting, but
until now many have questioned whether it would be as effective when
conducted as part of ongoing treatment in a primary care setting,
where fewer resources are available and patients may be less
motivated.
“This study shows that persistent lifestyle counseling can and should
be a critical piece of any routine diabetes treatment plan,” said
senior author Alexander Turchin, MD, MS, of Brigham and Women’s
Hospital. “Clearly it gets people to goals faster than when they are
not given continued encouragement and information on how to increase
physical activity levels, eat properly and reduce lipids. Primary
care providers should take these findings to heart.”
The study found that the more frequently patients received
counseling, the faster they reached their treatment goals, with those
who received counseling at least once a month achieving the best
results. Those who received face-to-face counseling once a month or
more took an average of 3.9 weeks to reach their target goals for
A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol, as compared to 13.5 months for
those who received counseling only once every one to six months.
Because counseling can be time intensive researchers recommend that
working with providers such as nurse practitioners, physician
assistants or dietitians, as well as providing support in group
settings, may be more cost-effective ways of providing this necessary
support.
To reach senior researcher Dr. Turchin, email: aturchin@partners.org
or phone 617-732-5661.
Diabetes Care, published by the American Diabetes Association, is the
leading peer-reviewed journal of clinical research into one of the
nation’s leading causes of death by disease. Diabetes also is a
leading cause of heart disease and stroke, as well as the leading
cause of adult blindness, kidney failure, and non-traumatic
amputations.
The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to stop
diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected
by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and
manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities;
provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those
denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission
is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all
people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the
American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or
visit
www.diabetes.org . Information from both these sources is
available in English and Spanish.
Contact:
Colleen Fogarty
American Diabetes Association
(703) 549-1500 ext. 2146
SOURCE: American Diabetes Association
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