With the publication of several large randomised controlled lifestyle change trials showing benefit in delaying or preventing progression from pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes, work has been taking place in many locations to translate research evidence into practical interventions to improve the care of our patients at the primary care level.
Laatikainen and colleagues are to be congratulated in conducting the large Diabetes Prevention Project in Australia.1 Like us, they successfully delivered a structured programme to patients with pre-diabetes using group work, delivering education enhanced by motivational techniques. Our programme was a randomised controlled pilot study testing two different dietary interventions.2 Theirs recruited a larger number of pre-diabetic participants and was able to show a statistically significant effect in reducing progression to type 2 diabetes compared with baseline using an audit methodology.
The biggest obstacle faced by many working in this field, including ourselves, is to secure adequate funding to develop and refine such pragmatic intervention programmes. This work is vital to the wellbeing of our patients. Up to 90% of people who develop diabetes may not have done so had their lifestyle choices been different, and interventions have been shown to make a real differences.3 We congratulate our Australian colleagues on their excellent work and are also envios of the opportunities that they have for substantial translational research funding.
- © British Journal of General Practice, 2008.