Jefferson Helps Launch Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP)

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital is one of 25 medical centers across the country participating in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a nationwide research study looking at ways people at risk for Type 2, or "adult onset" diabetes, can prevent or delay its onset.

The program will involve 4,000 volunteers and last four to six years. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is sponsoring the study.

Ideal volunteers for the study will be men and women, age 35 or older, who have a family history of diabetes, are overweight and/or developed diabetes during
pregnancy.

Volunteers will receive a free screening to determine whether they have impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), a condition where blood sugar level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be considered diabetes.

"We are looking for volunteers who might have IGT to help discover if people can prevent or delay getting Type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels through diet and exercise or medication," explains Pamela Watson, RN, ScD, professor at Thomas Jefferson University and principal investigator of the program.

Eligible volunteers may be asked to exercise, eat healthy food or take medication that lowers blood sugar and may help prevent diabetes. All study members will visit their participating medical center on a regular basis over three to six years.

Barry Goldstein, MD, PhD, director of the division of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolic diseases and co-principal investigator of the program, believes that study participants will be leaving a mark in the medical history books through their efforts.

"By being part of this study, participants can possibly save themselves from getting diabetes and also help their family in the future by contributing to medical research," he says.

Diabetes is presently an incurable disease that affects more than 16 million Americans. It can lead to blindness, amputations, kidney failure, heart disease and stroke.

Diabetes affects people of all backgrounds, but is most prevalent among African Americans, Hispanic Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

To learn more about the Diabetes Prevention Program, please call 1-215-955-0444 or 1-800-JEFF-NOW.