Livongo for Diabetes Improves Health of People with Type 2 Diabetes, New Study Finds

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 14, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Use of Livongo for Diabetes significantly improves the health of people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a new study published in the Journal of Diabetes Research. Researchers also found pairing participation in Livongo for Diabetes with lifestyle coaching regimens provided by Restore Health empowers individuals to lose weight and further improve their blood glucose.

Specifically, researchers found that use of Livongo for Diabetes alone improved blood glucose control for people with T2D with a decrease in mean estimated HbA1c (eA1c) from 8.5% to 7.5% (p=0.01). Study participants also experienced clinically meaningful improvement in their sense of empowerment and well-being about managing their diabetes as well -- factors correlated with successful long-term management of the condition.

Use of Livongo for Diabetes has been proven in earlier studies to help people become healthier. For this investigation, researchers examined if lifestyle coaching could help people with T2D who had hit a plateau on their way toward their health goals. The study evaluated 330 eligible participants with T2D who used Livongo for Diabetes for at least 80 days between October 2014, and February 2016. Participants had a BMI ≥ 25 but had not yet achieved their target level of glucose control (estimated HbA1c < 6.5%).

Researchers randomized study participants into one of three groups: Livongo for Diabetes plus a connected scale (n=115), Livongo for Diabetes plus a connected scale and 12 weeks of lightweight lifestyle coaching (n=73), or Livongo for Diabetes plus a connected scale and 12 weeks of intensive lifestyle coaching (n=67). A control group (n=75) without any further intervention also was followed. All lifestyle coaching included guidance in the areas of nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress. The primary study outcome was glucose control as measured by estimated A1c. Other outcomes assessed included weight, mean blood glucose and cost-effectiveness of the interventions.

The group receiving the most intensive coaching (average of 4 coaching interactions per week) experienced the greatest weight loss over the 12-week intervention period (mean weight loss of 9.7 lbs and mean eA1c reduction of 0.7%, which tracks average blood glucose and HbA1c estimation in real time). Lightweight coaching (average of 0.8 coaching interactions per week) had less of a clinical impact (mean weight loss of 4.1lbs. and mean eA1c reduction of 0.4%). Blood glucose improvement was most pronounced in study participants with higher mean blood glucose levels at the start of the intervention (177 ± 52 mg/dL at start versus 139 ± 26 mg/dL at end, p=0.001).

"Personalization is key to diabetes management," said Dr. Jennifer Bollyky, the lead author of the study, head of Clinical Research at Livongo, and a physician with Stanford Health Care. "For most people, living with diabetes is a life-long journey. This study demonstrates that short periods of intensive coaching when people get stuck on their way to their glucose and weight goals can be empowering and helpful."

Dr. Bollyky further commented, "This study also adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the broad use of Livongo for Diabetes for people living with the condition, reaffirming earlier positive findings that its use results in sustained improvement in glucose control by reducing HbA1c without increasing rates of hypoglycemia."

Researchers say the next step is to better understand the key elements of the coaching program most associated with improvements in weight and glucose control, so those elements can be provided cost-effectively to the people with diabetes most likely to benefit from them.

"This research is an important first step in understanding how data science insights may be applied to help tailor weight-management and nutrition coaching to individuals with type 2 diabetes using Livongo," said Susan Weiner, MS, RDN, CDE, CDN and 2015 AADE Diabetes Educator of the Year.

In the USA, 1 in 11 people have diabetes, costing the healthcare system more than $150 billion annually. For these individuals, maintaining blood glucose in the normal range (80–180 mg/dL) is a critical part of reducing emergency department visits, hospitalizations, renal failure and other costly complications of diabetes. Weight management also is vital to the health of people with T2D, many of whom find weight loss in the setting of insulin and other glucose-lowering medications to be difficult and struggle to get their BMI (Body Mass Index) to goal.

About Restore Health

Restore Health, powered by Zillion's intuitive technology and live human care teams, is the leading, cost-effective, multi-chronic condition management program in the nation. Zillion's intuitive technology emphasizes architecting individual choices, providing the right nudge at the right time to assist individuals in forming new behavior scaffolding. Founded in 2014, Zillion has collected over 100 million data points from over 500,000 users to power the identification of choice patterns that influence and manage high-risk factors for better outcomes, higher quality of care, and lower costs, leading to a powerful consumer experience. Combining this power with the power of relevant human interaction drives industry-leading risk migration and enhanced outcomes. The Restore program is offered by Zillion, a privately held company headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. For more information, visit: www.restorehealth.com

About Livongo Health

Livongo empowers people with chronic conditions to live better and healthier lives. We make it easier for people to stay healthy, starting with our diabetes prevention, and diabetes and hypertension offerings, by driving behavior change through the combination of consumer health technology, personalized recommendations, and real-time support at the point of impact. Powered by advanced data science, we create personalized experiences for our members, so they receive the right information, tools, and support, at the right time. Our approach is leading to better financial and clinical outcomes while creating a better experience for people with chronic conditions and their care team of family, friends, and medical professionals.

Livongo's signature offerings include Livongo for Diabetes, Livongo for Hypertension, and Livongo DPP powered by Retrofit. Livongo's objective is to serve the whole person, addressing each of their chronic conditions on a single platform, creating a truly seamless experience. Using reinforcement learning, Livongo can understand the personal health narrative of each member and offer real-time recommendations that are tailored to each person's unique health experience. For more information, visit: www.livongo.com

References

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8. Downing J, Bollyky J, Schneider J. Use of a Connected Glucose Meter and Certified Diabetes Educator Coaching to Decrease the Likelihood of Abnormal Blood Glucose Excursions: The Livongo for Diabetes Program. Moorhead A, ed. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2017; 19(7):e234. doi:10.2196/jmir.6659.

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