New Data Show Virgin Pulse's VP Transform Reduces Risk of Developing Type 2 Diabetes

PROVIDENCE, R.I., Feb. 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin Pulse, the leading global digital-first health and wellbeing company, today announced that new data from a study of adults with prediabetes who were enrolled in VP Transform for Prediabetes were published in JMIR Diabetes. The peer-reviewed study results demonstrate that the digital diabetes prevention program is effective at reducing participants' risk for developing type 2 diabetes.¹

In the U.S., more than 37 million adults have diabetes and another 96 million have prediabetes. Diabetes puts individuals at risk of serious health problems, including heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and other conditions. Diabetes also has significant impact on businesses, costing employers billions of dollars each year in lost productivity and medical expenses. The CDC estimates the total medical cost for people with diagnosed diabetes is $327 billion, including nearly $90 billion in indirect costs for employers, such as increased absenteeism and reduced productivity.

"Diabetes is a critical issue for employers, with lost work and wages affecting the people most important to their business – their employees – and their bottom line," said Chris Michalak, CEO of Virgin Pulse. "The findings of this study demonstrate that type 2 diabetes can be prevented, delayed, managed and even reversed by utilizing digital therapeutic programs such as VP Transform that empower people to take an active role in their health and future. This is encouraging news for people and businesses alike."

VP Transform is an evidence-based, CDC-recognized digital diabetes prevention program tailored for those at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The program incorporates a smartphone app that is connected to remote patient monitoring devices and complete with behavior tracking tools, health coaching and online peer support. VP Transform focuses on helping members achieve moderate and sustainable weight loss and increase levels of physical activity by blending easy, accessible technology with high-touch human connection. More than 27,000 people have participated in VP Transform since the program was launched.

Researchers from the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Virgin Pulse conducted a secondary analysis of retrospective data of 1,095 adults with prediabetes who were enrolled in VP Transform for 12 months. The study assessed two outcomes: weight loss and physical activity. On average, program participants decreased their weight by 10.9 lbs (5.5%; P<.001) and increased their physical activity by 91.2 minutes (P<.001).

The full results were published in the JMIR Diabetes article, "A 12-Month Follow-Up of the Effects of a Digital Diabetes Prevention Program (VP Transform) on Weight and Physical Activity Among Adults With Prediabetes: Secondary Analysis."

"This study builds off of existing research which showed the effectiveness of VP Transform at 16 weeks," said Zhiwei Gao, Ph.D., M.Sc., M.D., Associate Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at Memorial University of Newfoundland and lead author of the study. "The results strengthen the case that digital health innovations can make a meaningful, sustained difference to those trying to make behavior changes, including reducing weight and increasing physical activity. The weight loss results are especially noteworthy, as they demonstrate greater effectiveness compared to previous studies on the same topic."

Virgin Pulse Inc. funded this study through a partnership with a Mitacs Accelerate grant.

About Virgin Pulse
Virgin Pulse is the leading digital-first health and wellbeing company that empowers organizations across the globe to activate populations, improve health outcomes, and reduce spend in an era of accelerating cost and complexity. Virgin Pulse's Homebase for Health^® connects data, people and technology to deliver high tech, human touch experiences that engage and reward individual journeys. Virgin Pulse impacts over 100 million people across 190 countries by helping Fortune 500, national health plans and many other organizations change lives – and businesses – for good. For more tips and insights, connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Reference:

1.    Batten R, Alwashmi MF, Mugford G, Nuccio M, Besner A, Gao Z. A 12-Month Follow-Up of the Effects of a Digital Diabetes Prevention Program (VP Transform for Prediabetes) on Weight and Physical Activity Among Adults With Prediabetes: Secondary Analysis. JMIR Diabetes 2022;7(1):e23243. doi: 10.2196/23243. PMID: 35029532.

Contact: Kristin Villiotte, [email protected]

SOURCE Virgin Pulse