The Autonomous Community of Galicia is participating in the European project Care4Diabetes, an initiative that adapts a best practice (Voeding Leeft) originating in the Netherlands, which has been selected as a Joint Action to be implemented in 12 European countries and 6 Autonomous Communities in Spain, with Asturias leading the project.
This project aims to improve the quality of life and reduce healthcare costs for individuals with type 2 diabetes through a comprehensive lifestyle intervention program. The strategy includes a 12-month follow-up, divided into a 6-month intensive phase and a 6-month maintenance phase.
The Care4Diabetes program focuses on four pillars: nutrition, physical activity, emotional management, and sleep, addressed through sessions designed to empower participants and identify barriers to adopting a healthy lifestyle.
Objectives
To evaluate the impact of Care4Diabetes in Galicia on weight and abdominal circumference reduction, glycemic control, use of antidiabetic medication, physical activity levels, eating habits, and participants’ perceptions.
Methods
From the primary care centers of the A Coruña and Cee Health Area, a total of 22 individuals (7 men and 15 women) with type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected. They met the following inclusion criteria: age between 20 and 80 years, diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) between 1-10 years, stable medication for at least 6 months, BMI between 25-40 kg/m², no diagnosis of COPD, renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy, or heart failure, no history of bariatric surgery, not pregnant, skills to use digital devices, access to the internet, sufficient language proficiency to participate in the program, ability to attend sessions, willingness to perform home glucose measurements, and high motivation to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
During the 6-month intensive phase, participants attended 5 in-person sessions or 6 online sessions. These sessions focused on the four pillars of Care4Diabetes: nutrition, physical activity, emotional management, and sleep. In each session, participants acquired knowledge on healthy lifestyle habits, worked on identifying individual barriers to lifestyle changes, and received practical solutions. Workshops were also conducted to improve adherence to the proposed changes. The first two sessions were held over a weekend with overnight stays, allowing participants to interact with each other and experience the suggested changes aimed at improving quality of life.
To help raise awareness about T2DM and enhance adherence to healthy lifestyle changes, patients were provided with 3 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors: the 1st sensor was placed one week before the intervention started, the 2nd sensor immediately after the first, and the 3rd sensor at the 6-month mark of the project.
To support participants throughout the year, a Moodle platform was implemented in collaboration with the Galician Agency for Health Knowledge. On this platform, participants accessed educational content about the four program pillars and a discussion forum where they could exchange ideas, participate in debates, and offer support to their peers on shared topics of interest.
Results
The results pertain to the intensive phase of the program in the A Coruña Health Area. A total of 22 patients participated, 7 men and 15 women.
| VARIABLE | SEX | BASELINE MEAN | BASELINE SD | 6-MONTH MEAN | 6-MONTH SD | MEAN DIFFERENCE Baseline – 6 Months |
| Weight | Male | 97.3 kg | 11.6 kg | 93.7 kg | 12.6 kg | -3.7 kg |
| Female | 72.7 kg | 10.5 kg | 68.6 kg | 10.5 kg | -4.06 kg | |
| BMI | Male | 32.1 kg/m² | 4.1 kg/m² | 30.4 kg/m² | 4.5 kg/m² | -1.6 kg/m² |
| Female | 29.3 kg/m² | 3.6 kg/m² | 27.6 kg/m² | 3.6 kg/m² | -1.7 kg/m² | |
| Abdominal Circ. | Male | 112.9 cm | 9.1 cm | 109.7 cm | 8.2 cm | -3.25 cm |
| Female | 100 cm | 13.1 cm | 95.4 cm | 11.3 cm | -4.24 cm |
Other Results
- Reduction in Antidiabetic Medication: 22.7% of participants reduced their medication.
- Physical Exercise: After six months, participants performed an average of 6.3 hours/week of physical exercise, representing an increase of 2.5 hours/week.
- Eating Habits: Participants increased their consumption of foods rich in omega-3 and slow-absorbing carbohydrates. They reduced the intake of processed and sugary products.
- Group Interview at 6 Months:
- Patients reported learning what diabetes is and how it affects the body.
- They found it easy to eat healthier.
- Group interaction strengthened their ability to cope with the disease, improving their well-being.
- Improvements were noted in sleep quality thanks to sleep hygiene practices and in stress management.
Conclusions
Care4Diabetes in our community demonstrated improvements in the 4 pillars of the project, suggesting better disease control through lifestyle changes. This shows that a comprehensive approach to treating the disease is key to the successful management of type 2 diabetes
The first results of the European project Care4Diabetes In Galicia were presented at the Spanish Society of Obesity Congress held in Santiago de Compostela between the 27th and 29th of November 2024.
The results of weight and abdominal circumference reduction, glycemic control, use of antidiabetic medication, physical activity levels, eating habits, and participants’ perceptions were presented.
From the primary care centers of the A Coruña and Cee Health Area, a total of 22 individuals (7 men and 15 women) with type 2 diabetes mellitus were selected. They met the following inclusion criteria: age between 20 and 80 years, diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) between 1-10 years, stable medication for at least 6 months, BMI between 25-40 kg/m², no diagnosis of COPD, renal failure requiring renal replacement therapy, or heart failure, no history of bariatric surgery, not pregnant, skills to use digital devices, access to the internet, sufficient language proficiency to participate in the program, ability to attend sessions, willingness to perform home glucose measurements, and high motivation to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
During the 6-month intensive phase, participants attended 5 in-person sessions or 6 online sessions. These sessions focused on the four pillars of Care4Diabetes: nutrition, physical activity, emotional management, and sleep.
The preliminary results show a reduction in antidiabetic medication of 22.7%, an increase of 2.5 hours/week for physical exercise, increased consumption of foods rich in omega-3 and slow-absorbing carbohydrates and reduced intake of processed and sugary products.