Research Behind the National DPP

Congress authorized the National DPP in 2010 because of previous research that demonstrated the potential of the CDC-recognized lifestyle change program to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)External was a major multicenter clinical research study. The intervention involved a lifestyle change program focusing on calorie reduction and increasing physical activity to at least 150 minutes per week. Results from the study showed that this structured lifestyle change program, in which participants achieved weight loss of 5 to 7 percent of their body weight (10 to 14 pounds for a person weighing 200 pounds), reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent in adults at high risk for the disease.

A 10-year follow-up study, The Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes StudyExternal, showed that participants were still one-third less likely to develop type 2 diabetes a decade later than individuals who took a placebo. Those who did develop type 2 diabetes delayed the onset of the disease by about 4 years.

Summaries of additional research studiesExternal can be found on CDC’s National DPP Coverage Toolkit.

To read more about the national initiatives developed by the National DPP, please visit What’s New?