Lifestyle counseling, practiced in a primary care setting as part of routine care for people with diabetes, helps people more quickly lower blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels and keep those levels under control, according to a large, long-term study.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston conducted a retrospective cohort study of more than 30,000 people with diabetes who received diet, exercise and weight loss counseling as part of primary care for at least two years (with an average follow-up time of almost seven years) and who had elevated blood glucose, blood pressure or cholesterol.
In a report appearing in the February issue of Diabetes Care, they found that the use of counseling reduced the time it took for patients to lower blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Previous studies have documented the success of counseling in a clinical trial setting. But questions arose about whether counseling would be as effective when conducted as part of ongoing treatment in a primary care setting, where fewer resources are available and patients may be less motivated.
"The study shows that persistent lifestyle counseling can and should be a critical piece of any routine diabetes treatment plan," said senior author Alexander Turchin, MD, MS, of Brigham and Women's Hospital. "Clearly it gets people to goals faster than when they are not given continued encouragement and information on how to increase physical activity levels, eat properly and reduce lipids. Primary care providers should take these findings to heart."
The study found that the more frequently patients received counseling, the faster they reached their treatment goals. Those who received face-to-face counseling once a month or more took an average of 3.9 weeks to reach their target goals for A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol, as compared to 13.5 months for those who received counseling once every one to six months.
The researchers noted that counseling can be time-intensive and said working with providers such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants and dietitians, as well as offering support in group settings, may be more cost-effective ways of providing this necessary support.
To read a study summary and access the study via subscription or purchase, visit http://bit.ly/zo8JPH.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston conducted a retrospective cohort study of more than 30,000 people with diabetes who received diet, exercise and weight loss counseling as part of primary care for at least two years (with an average follow-up time of almost seven years) and who had elevated blood glucose, blood pressure or cholesterol.
In a report appearing in the February issue of Diabetes Care, they found that the use of counseling reduced the time it took for patients to lower blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Previous studies have documented the success of counseling in a clinical trial setting. But questions arose about whether counseling would be as effective when conducted as part of ongoing treatment in a primary care setting, where fewer resources are available and patients may be less motivated.
"The study shows that persistent lifestyle counseling can and should be a critical piece of any routine diabetes treatment plan," said senior author Alexander Turchin, MD, MS, of Brigham and Women's Hospital. "Clearly it gets people to goals faster than when they are not given continued encouragement and information on how to increase physical activity levels, eat properly and reduce lipids. Primary care providers should take these findings to heart."
The study found that the more frequently patients received counseling, the faster they reached their treatment goals. Those who received face-to-face counseling once a month or more took an average of 3.9 weeks to reach their target goals for A1C, blood pressure and cholesterol, as compared to 13.5 months for those who received counseling once every one to six months.
The researchers noted that counseling can be time-intensive and said working with providers such as nurse practitioners, physician assistants and dietitians, as well as offering support in group settings, may be more cost-effective ways of providing this necessary support.
To read a study summary and access the study via subscription or purchase, visit http://bit.ly/zo8JPH.
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