It is estimated that 29.1 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes and that one in three have prediabetes. Within the Intermountain Medical Group, 17,000 patients meet criteria for prediabetes, and another 80,000 have risk factors for the disease.

The Primary Care Clinical Program Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was designed to help those with prediabetes prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. The program is based on evidence suggesting that if a person loses 5 percent of their body weight, he or she can decrease the chance of getting diabetes by 58 percent in two years.

The DPP offers three pathways to achieve the 5 percent weight loss: The Weigh to Health program, medical nutrition therapy, and the two-hour group class “Prediabetes 101.”

“For as easy as this solution sounds, it can be difficult for a person to make the changes necessary,” said Kim Brunisholz, delivery system science fellow and overseer of research for the Diabetes Prevention Program. “To help a wide variety of patients make these difficult changes, Intermountain has developed three pathways that cater to different needs and preferences.”

How effective is the program?

Results from the program show that patients who participate are 70 percent more likely to achieve a 5 percent weight loss in six to 12 months and are more than 50 percent less likely to develop diabetes in the first year after participating than those who do not. The program has a 75 percent participation rate and has seen an estimated 2,700 patients since it started in 2013.

“We estimate that we have avoided or delayed 51 cases of diabetes since the program began, which has saved roughly $400,000,” said Kim.

Based on Our Results, for 100 People with Prediabetes:

  • 5 people will get diabetes in the next year if they make no lifestyle changes
  • 2 people will still get diabetes regardless of lifestyle changes
  • 3 people will avoid diabetes in the next year by participating in the Diabetes Prevention Program and living a healthier lifestyle

Dennis's Story

“Not much in this life scares me, but type 2 [diabetes] does,” said Dennis Barker, a 77-year-old bus driver and retired justice court judge from Newton, Utah.

Dennis went to see his doctor for his annual Department of Transportation physical. Dr. Brad Goates, Dennis’s physician at Logan Clinic reviewed his blood test results with him and informed him that he didn’t have type 2 diabetes yet, but his results were on the high end of normal, meaning he would likely develop type 2 diabetes unless he made some lifestyle changes. To help Dennis, Dr. Goates invited him to visit a dietitian at the clinic.

“He told me, ‘you can prevent this from happening.’ I said, ‘how?’ He said ‘lose weight and get more active.’”

“Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease that can bring about serious and life-threatening health complications,” said Kim. “By being proactive with your life, you can live the healthiest life possible.”

Dennis said, “I made the decision to do something about it rather than just say, ‘well I’ll let it go and let the doctors give me pills and shots.’ That’s not in my DNA.”

Using the things he learned from the dietitian, Dennis has experienced measurable progress. “I weigh almost 60 pounds less than I did a year ago, my numbers are down to the normal level, and my blood pressure has dropped,” Dennis said proudly.

“Not everyone is going to go out and run a marathon,” Kim clarified, “but you can make small steps toward having a successful story.”