Effectiveness of a self-management intervention in patients with screen-detected type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVE - To examine the effectiveness of a theory-driven self-management course in reducing cardiovascular risk in patients with screen-detected type 2 diabetes, taking ongoing medical treatment into account. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - A total of 196 screen-detected patients, receiving either intensive pharmacological or usual-care treatment since diagnosis (3-33 months previously), were subsequently randomized to a control or intervention condition (self-management course). A 2 x 2 factorial design evaluated the behavioral intervention (self-management course versus control) nested within the medical treatment (intensive versus usual care), using multilevel regression modeling to analyze changes in patients' BMI, AlC, blood pressure (BP), and lipid profiles over 12 months, from the start of the 3-month course to 9-month follow-up. RESULTS - The self-management course significantly reduced BMI (-0.77 kg/m(2)) and Systolic BP (-6.2 mmHg) up until the 9-month follow-up, regardless of medical treatment. However, intensive medical treatment was also independently associated with lower BP, AlC, total cholesterol, and LDL before the course and further improvements in systolic BP (-4.7 mmHg). Patients receiving both intensive medical treatment and the self-management course therefore had the best outcomes. CONCLUSIONS - This self-management course was effective in achieving sustained reductions in weight and BP, independent of medical treatment. A combination of behavioral and medical interventions is particularly effective in reducing cardiovascular risk in newly diagnosed patients.