Impact of education on weight in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes: every little bit helps.

AIMS: Highly structured, intensive behavioral lifestyle interventions have been shown to be efficacious in research settings for type 2 diabetes management and weight loss. We sought to evaluate the benefit of participation in more limited counseling and/or education among individuals with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes in more modest real-world clinical settings.

METHODS: Electronic Health Records of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients age 35-74 from a large ambulatory group practice were analyzed (n = 1,314). We examined participation in clinic-based lifestyle counseling/education and subsequent weight loss.

RESULTS: Of the total cohort, 599 (45.6%) patients received counseling/education with (26.2%) and without (19.4%) medication, 298(22.7%) patients received a prescription for medication alone, and 417(31.7%) patients were only monitored. On average, those who participated in counseling/education attended 2.5 sessions (approximately 2-3 hours). The average weight loss of patients who received counseling/education alone during the follow-up period (up to three years post-exposure to participation) was 6.3 lbs. (3.3% of body weight), and, if received with medication prescription, 8.1lbs. (4.0% of body weight) (all at P<0.001). The weight loss associated with medication was only 3.5 lbs. (P<0.001). No significant weight change was observed in the monitoring only group.

CONCLUSIONS: While efforts to improve both the short-term and long-term effectiveness of behavioral lifestyle interventions in real-world settings are ongoing, it is important for clinicians to continue to utilize less intensive, existing resources. Even relatively small "doses" of health education may help in promoting weight loss and may potentially reduce cardiometabolic risk.