Research
Hormonal
Behavioral programs for type 2 diabetes are more effective for individuals with suboptimal or poor glycemic control (baseline HbA1c ≥7.0%) compared to those with good control.
If your blood sugar levels are currently high (HbA1c ≥7.0%), you are likely to see greater improvements from behavioral programs than if your levels are already well-controlled. This is because there is more room for improvement in glycemic control.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Reductions in HbA1c seemed to be greater for participants with a baseline HbA1c level of 7.0% or greater, adults younger than 65 years, and minority persons (subgroups with ≥75% nonwhite participants).
Why this rating
Subgroup analyses were indirect and exploratory, as noted by the authors.
Source
Behavioral Programs for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Jennifer Pillay et al. · Annals of Internal Medicine · 2015
DOI 10.7326/m15-1400
Meta-analysis · 132 studiesCited 222×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Behavioral programs for type 2 diabetes mellitus provide clinically important glycemic control improvements (≥0.4% reduction in HbA1c) only when they offer 11 or more contact hours and include an added support component (clinical, behavioral, or psychosocial).Good
- Lifestyle programs focused on diet and physical activity are more effective than diabetes-specific self-management education (DSME) for reducing body mass index (BMI) in adults with type 2 diabetes.Good
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