Prevention of type 2 diabetes through remotely administered lifestyle programs: A systematic review

Although effective in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), in-person lifestyle modification programs have been underutilized. To minimize barriers related to convenience and accessibility, recent research has focused on developing virtual or remote interventions that may have comparable or greater efficacy in promoting lifestyle changes and reducing the risk of T2D. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of remotely-administered lifestyle interventions on preventing T2D.

We searched an electronic database by using keywords, and a web-based software platform was used to screen articles and extract data in duplicate. We included articles with adolescent/adult participant populations who had prediabetes or were at elevated risk of diabetes, remotely-administered lifestyle interventions on T2D prevention, and changes in glycemic traits. We excluded trials of patients with prevalent T2D, interventions that included medications, and those not relevant to our outcomes of interest.

A total of 8 publications were included in this systematic review. Six papers indicated significant reductions in weight and/or glycemic biomarkers such as HbA1c and fasting glucose. All studies reported that remotely-administered interventions were convenient for participants, and one publication reported that participation of the online DPP group was significantly higher than the in-person DPP.

These findings suggest that remotely-administered lifestyle interventions for T2D prevention could be a promising participant-friendly alternative to in-person programs, with efficacy for reducing weight and glycemic biomarkers.