New Study Reports Weight Change Significantly Impacts Quality Of Life ForType 2 Diabetes Patients

Main Category: Diabetes
Article Date: 24 May 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Type-2 diabetes patients who lose at least 5% of their body weight score significantly higher on health-related quality of life measures than those who gain 5%, according to a new Consumer Health Sciences (CHS) study presented today at the 14th Annual ISPOR (International Society for Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research) Conference in Orlando, Florida. The benefits of weight loss are particularly dramatic for obese patients, who experience a sharp increase in quality of life scores with just a 5% weight reduction.

"Treatments that support even modest amounts of weight loss can result in substantially improved physical health and quality of life in type-2 diabetes patients, especially for those who are most overweight," according to Marco DiBonaventura, Research Services, CHS. "Around 50% of men and 70% of women are obese when diagnosed with type-2 diabetes--and evidence suggests that the metabolic consequences of type-2 diabetes are most pronounced among the overweight. Therefore, it is a critical finding that obese patients can greatly impact their physical well being through reducing their weight by just a small percentage."

Weight Change Affects Work Productivity and Activity Levels

The CHS study also reveals that weight gain among type-2 diabetes patients leads to lower work productivity, including greater absenteeism. In addition, patients gaining weight show higher levels of work activity impairment than those losing weight.

"Directionally, results indicate that employers who support programs promoting healthy lifestyles and weight management can reap rewards in terms of higher productivity among their staff suffering from type-2 diabetes-a critical finding, given the rising number of patients now being diagnosed with the condition," according to DiBonaventura. "Weight loss can reduce absenteeism among diabetic employees-and ensure that when they come to work, they can perform their activities more effectively, rather than being impaired by their illness."

About the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS)

The study's results were drawn from the 2006 and 2007 US National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), a nationally representative, self-administered survey conducted annually via the Internet. Topics covered include the health status, attitudes, behaviors and outcomes among adults 18 or older.

CHS, a Kantar Health company, conducts NHWS annually in the US, Europe and Asia. The survey is the largest self-reported patient database in the healthcare industry.

Source
Consumer Health Sciences

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