At a glance
The National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) is a partnership of public and private organizations working to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. These milestones display a rich history of how the program has evolved since 1996.
1996-2000
June 1996
The National Institutes of Health initiated a randomized clinical trial, evaluating the effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention compared to a medication intervention on reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
2001-2005
February 2002
The Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group published findings from its randomized clinical trial in the New England Journal of Medicine. Findings showed that participants in a structured lifestyle change program cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58%.1
2006-2010
March 2010
Congress authorized CDC to establish the National DPP. It is a nationwide, public-private initiative to offer evidence-based, cost-effective interventions to prevent type 2 diabetes.
August 2010
Research in Diabetes Care concluded that: "Many interventions intended to prevent/control diabetes are cost saving or very cost-effective and supported by strong evidence. Policy makers should consider giving these interventions a higher priority."2
2011-2015
January 2011
CDC began building the National DPP infrastructure. Moving diabetes prevention from research to implementation in communities was a major undertaking.
September 2011
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that 10 states would receive grants through the Medicaid Incentives for Prevention of Chronic Diseases (MIPCD) program. Some states used the grant funds as incentives to beneficiaries who participated in the National DPP.
September 2012
CDC awarded grants to 6 national organizations to increase the number of CDC-recognized organizations offering lifestyle change programs via multi-state networks. The grants could also help expand coverage through relationships with employers and insurers that led to benefit coverage and reimbursement for delivery organizations.
February 2013
CDC awarded grants to all 50 states and DC to raise awareness of prediabetes, increase referrals to lifestyle change programs, and work with state employee benefit plans and Medicaid to support coverage.
September 2014
CDC awarded grants to 17 states and 4 cities to expand on work started previously and enroll vulnerable, high-risk populations in the program.
July 2015
The Community Preventive Services Task Force updated its Task Force Finding and Rationale Statement on Diabetes Prevention and Control, based on a review of 53 studies from January 1991 through February 2015. It concluded that combined diet and physical promotion programs are cost-effective. It also recommended such interventions for individuals at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes based on "strong evidence of effectiveness in reducing new-onset diabetes."
2016-2020
March 2016
CDC released Prevent T2, a culturally adapted National DPP curriculum, in English and Spanish.
July 2016
The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) published a final evidence report entitled, "Diabetes Prevention Programs: Effectiveness and Value." ICER assessed 10 National DPP providers with full or pending recognition from the CDC's Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program. The report concluded that the CDC-recognized programs provided "an incremental or better" net health benefit.
November 2016
The CMS finalized a rule to expand coverage of the National DPP to Medicare beneficiaries (called the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program) starting 2018.
August 2017
CDC awarded 12 cooperative agreements for a 5-year timeframe to build out the National DPP infrastructure in currently underserved areas. This initiative was an effort to ensure that all adults with prediabetes or at high risk for type 2 diabetes have the opportunity to enroll in the evidence-based lifestyle change program.
May 2018
National DPP Customer Service Center (CSC) launched. The CSC is a hub for resources, training, and technical assistance for CDC-recognized organizations and other National DPP partnerships.
March 2020
The National DPP implemented program delivery flexibilities to allow for continued operation of National DPP lifestyle change programs in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency.
2021-present
August 2021
The National DPP Find a Program launched. This website helps potential participants and providers locate a CDC-recognized lifestyle change program by several parameters such as by location and by delivery mode.
May 2021
The 2021 Diabetes Prevention and Recognition Program (DPRP) Standards and Operating Procedures launched. This version of the Standards expanded options for program risk reduction, including A1c and a lower weight loss threshold combined with documented physical activity levels.
August 2021
An updated Prevent T2 was launched. The curriculum has updated nutrition and weight loss content with a focus on whole foods and healthy eating patterns. It was also updated to enhance cultural relevance and cultural representation of foods in the English and Spanish versions.
June 2023
A funding opportunity called A Strategic Approach to Advancing Health Equity for Priority Populations with or at Risk for Diabetes (CDC-RFA-DP23-0020) launched. This 5-year cooperative agreement seeks to prevent or delay onset of type 2 diabetes among adults with prediabetes and improve self-care practices, quality of care, and early detection of complications among people with diabetes.
- Tuomilehto J, Lindstrom J, Eriksson J, et al; Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study Group. Prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus by changes in lifestyle among subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. N Engl J Med 2001; 344:1343–1350. Available at http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11333990
- Li R, Zhang P, Barker LE, Chowdhury FM, Zhang X. Cost-effectiveness of interventions to prevent and control diabetes mellitus: a systematic review. Diabetes Care. 2010;33(8):1872-1894. doi:10.2337/dc10-0843. Available at http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20668156/