Long-term effects of a telemedically-assisted lifestyle intervention on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes – A two-armed randomised controlled trial in Germany
Annalena Dunkel, Katja von Storch, Martin Hochheim, Susanne Zank, Maria Cristina Polidori, Christiane Woopen
Abstract
Abstract Purpose Diabetes is considered one of the fastest growing diseases worldwide. Especially in the treatment of type 2 diabetes, lifestyle interventions have proven to be effective. However, long-term studies in real-world contexts are rare, which is why further research is needed. The aim of the present study is to investigate whether effects achieved in the context of a long-term lifestyle intervention can be sustained by patients in the long term. Methods In a two-arm randomized trial we compared diabetes care as usual to a lifestyle intervention combining telemedically support and individual needs-based telephone coaching. The study included 151 patients with type 2 diabetes randomized to either the intervention or control group. Intervention Group (IG; N = 86, 80.2% male, mean age: 59.7) received telemedical devices and telephone coaching over a period of 12 months, Control Group (CG; N = 65, 83.1% male, mean age: 58,8) received care as usual. The primary outcome was chance in Hb A1c . A follow-up survey was conducted after 24 months. Results The intervention group showed significantly better HbA1c- values compared to the control group at both 12 and 24 months (12 M: − 0.52 (-0.73; − 0.32), p < .000; 24 M: − 0.38 (-0.61; − 0.15), p = .001). The strongest change was seen in the first three months, with the best value obtained at 6 months and stable thereafter. Conclusion Combined telephone coaching with telemedicine support could lead to better long-term glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes. In the future, more long-term studies should be conducted in real-world settings and lifestyle interventions should be offered more widely.