People with type 2 diabetes who participate in a program in which they're coached by a pharmacist show big improvements in how well they manage their disease, a study says today.
That improvement translates to better health for the 914 employees who have signed up for the Diabetes Ten City Challenge. They all work for 29 self-insured employers who have joined the program in hopes that it will reduce their costs of providing medical care to employees.
The Diabetes Ten City Challenge was launched in October 2005 by the American Pharmacists Association Foundation, with funding from the drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline. Employees with diabetes go to the doctor to get a basic treatment plan, but then see a pharmacist once a month to make sure their blood sugar levels are in check. Patients who sign up for the program get medication and supplies free of charge, says Toni Fera, director of patient self-management programs at the pharmacists association, based in Washington, D.C.
Preliminary results published in the March-April issue of the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association showed a 21% increase in the number of participants who achieved the standard set by the American Diabetes Association for blood sugar control. They had blood sugar levels of less than 7% on a test called the A1C.
Many diabetics in the USA have blood sugar levels that run higher than 7%, says Larry Deeb, former president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association. High blood sugar puts diabetics at risk of developing expensive, and potentially lethal, complications such as kidney disease, he adds.
Diabetes doctors often must rush from patient to patient and don't have the time to explain more than the basics of blood sugar control, Deeb says.
The pharmacists in this program saw patients regularly and encouraged them to test blood regularly. Patients also learn the importance of exercise and diet, which can also regulate blood sugar levels. The effort seems to pay off: Diabetics in the program went from an A1C of 7.6% at the start to 7.2% after just three months.
Diabetic adults have an elevated risk of heart disease, but the program might reduce that risk. The study found that:
*The average LDL cholesterol, the so-called bad cholesterol that clogs arteries, decreased from 96 to 93 milligrams per deciliter.
*The average systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped from 131 to 129 millimeters of mercury. The ADA recommends that people with diabetes keep their systolic blood pressure under 130. Pressures higher than that can damage the heart.
The study didn't calculate the cost savings to employers, but research shows that diabetics who keep blood sugar at recommended levels are less likely to require expensive medical care -- such as frequent trips to the hospital emergency room, Deeb says.
Diabetics who keep sugar levels in check might be less likely to call in sick, and that can save employers money, Fera adds.
"Any time you lower your A1C you improve your health," Deeb says. "Everyone wins with this program."
To see more of USAToday.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.usatoday.com
??? Copyright 2007 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.