The MGH Diabetes Center has been in the vanguard of research on lifestyle interventions to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes. In studies funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) such as the Diabetes Prevention Program and the Look AHEAD study, MGH Diabetes Center dietitians and lifestyle coaches helped people living with type 2 diabetes take control of their health through teaching strategies for managing diet, exercise, and weight.

Now Linda Delahanty RD MS, one of the dietitians who pioneered those national programs, is leading the Improving Diabetes Outcomes through Lifestyle Change (IDOLc) Translation Studyat MGH.  The purpose of the IDOLc study is to look at the effect of a group lifestyle program on weight loss, diabetes control, and quality of life.  We believe it is a great opportunity for anyone with type 2 diabetes to connect with a dietitian experienced in diabetes.  In addition, we hope to find out whether the lifestyle program that worked in the national trial when spread out over the course of many years can provide similar benefits to patients in a shorter time frame.

You may be able to take part if you have type 2 diabetes, are overweight with stable weight for the past 3 months, and are at least 18 years old.  Everyone who participates will have a study visit and a 6-month follow up (both last 2 hours – parking costs will be covered for these visits).  Study volunteers will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to one of two groups.  One group will receive the usual nutrition and lifestyle care, meeting one-on-one with a dietitian.  The other will participate in the intervention program that focuses on teaching lifestyle skills related to a variety of nutrition, activity and behavioral topics (19 sessions total lasting approximately 1 to 1.5 hours each).  Click here to watch a quick video about the intervention being tested by this study.

Visit the Partners clinical trials website for more information.  You can also call
(617) 724-4981 or e-mail IDOLcStudy@partners.org with any questions.