Trial reportAmerican journal of preventive medicine2017

PREVENT-DM Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Lifestyle Intervention and Metformin.

Matthew J O'Brien, Alberly Perez, Adam B Scanlan, Victor A Alos, Robert C Whitaker, Gary D Foster, Ronald T Ackermann, Jody D Ciolino, Carol Homko

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in American journal of preventive medicine, 2017. The graph read 1 number from its abstract, feeding 1 cell of the map: it . Cited by 42 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

1number the graph read from it
1cell of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
5.1field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
-4.000 · no effect
Weight lossintensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) vs metforminfavours the treatment · t2d, obesityfeeds one cell of the map
Δ -4.00<0.001
RESULTS: ILI participants demonstrated significantly greater mean weight loss (-4.0 kg, 5.0%) than metformin (-0.9 kg, 1.1%) and standard care participants (+0.8 kg, 0.9%) (p<0.001).

clause the extractor read what became the number

2 · Its place on the map

Where it lands on the map

Rows are treatments, columns are outcomes. The coloured squares are the cells this paper feeds, coloured by the vote it casts there. Click one to jump to what this paper adds to it.

supports the treatmentfavours the comparatorno clear differenceread, but no usable result
3 · What it changes

What it adds to each cell

For every cell the paper feeds: the belief in the claim with and without this paper, and this paper's estimate drawn against every other readable study in the cell. The ringed dot is this paper.

Diet, exercise & lifestyle×body weight & composition

No readable resultOpen on the map →What to test next →

3 readable studies in this cell: 2 favour the treatment, 0 find no difference, 1 favour the comparator.

Belief with this paper
0.12contested · 1 family supports, 2 contradict · against placebo
Without itNot a counted family in this claim, so removing it changes nothing.
← favours the treatmentfavours the comparator →
0 · no effect
This paper · 2017
Δ -4.00
Δ -5.40-9.00 to -1.70
estimated mean change 7.034.25 to 9.80
4 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

5 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 73 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. A systematic review of inequalities in the uptake of, adherence to, and effectiveness of behavioral weight management interventions in adults.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2022
    Pooled it
  5. Interventions for Reversing Prediabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.American journal of preventive medicine · 2022 · on this map
    Pooled it
  6. Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Pooled it
  9. Trial
  10. Trial
  11. Trial
  12. Article
  13. Metformin Beyond Glycemic Control: Cardiovascular Protection and Diabetes Prevention.Journal of cardiovascular development and disease · 2026
    Review
  14. Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Metformin on the Progression of Different Types of Prediabetes Mellitus.Diabetes, metabolic syndrome and obesity : targets and therapy · 2026
    Review
  15. Article
  16. Prediabetes in acute stroke: prevalence and impact on early clinical outcomes.Clinical research in cardiology : official journal of the German Cardiac Society · 2025
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Review
6 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

7 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Matthew J O'BrienDivision of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Center for Community Health, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Puentes de Salud Health Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address: matthew.obrien1@northwestern.edu.
Alberly PerezPuentes de Salud Health Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Center for Obesity Research and Education, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Adam B ScanlanPerelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Victor A AlosPuentes de Salud Health Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Center for Obesity Research and Education, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Robert C WhitakerCenter for Obesity Research and Education, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Gary D FosterWeight Watchers International, Inc., New York, New York.
Ronald T AckermannDivision of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Center for Community Health, Institute for Public Health and Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Jody D CiolinoDepartment of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Carol HomkoCenter for Obesity Research and Education, College of Public Health, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Temple University · USNorthwestern University · USUniversity of Pennsylvania · US

Funding

Research Design, Data, and Analytics CoreP30DK092949 · UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO · 2025 to 2025
$660k
NIDDK NIH HHS K23 DK095981NIDDK NIH HHS P30 DK092949
8 · The paper itself

Abstract

The marked sentences are the ones the graph read a number from.

introductionAlthough the Diabetes Prevention Program and other clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy of intensive lifestyle interventions (ILI) and metformin to prevent type 2 diabetes, no studies have tested their comparative effects in pragmatic settings. This study was designed to compare the real-world effectiveness of ILI, metformin, and standard care among Hispanic women (Latinas) with prediabetes. STUDY

designRCT. SETTING/

participantsNinety-two Latinas, who had a mean hemoglobin A1c of 5.9%, BMI of 33.3 kg/m

interventionThe 12-month ILI was adapted from the Diabetes Prevention Program's ILI and delivered by community health workers (promotoras) over 24 sessions. Metformin participants received 850 mg twice daily. Those randomized to standard care continued their regular medical care.

main outcome measuresWeight and secondary outcomes (waist circumference, blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, fasting plasma glucose, insulin, and lipids) were assessed at baseline and 12 months.

resultsILI participants demonstrated significantly greater mean weight loss (-4.0 kg, 5.0%) than metformin (-0.9 kg, 1.1%) and standard care participants (+0.8 kg, 0.9%) (p<0.001). The difference in weight loss between metformin and standard care was not significant. The ILI group experienced a greater reduction in waist circumference than standard care (p=0.001), and a marginal improvement in hemoglobin A1c compared with metformin and standard care (p=0.063).

conclusionsIn the first comparative effectiveness trial of diabetes prevention treatments, a 12-month ILI produced significantly greater weight loss than metformin and standard care among Latinas with prediabetes. These data suggest that ILI delivered by promotoras is an effective strategy for preventing diabetes in this high-risk group, which may be superior to metformin. Future pragmatic trials involving larger samples should examine differences in diabetes incidence associated with these treatments.

Indexed as

FemaleGlycated HemoglobinHispanic or LatinoHumansHypoglycemic AgentsLife StyleMetforminMiddle AgedPrediabetic StateWaist CircumferenceWeight LossGlycated HemoglobinHypoglycemic AgentsMetformin

Identifiers

PMID28237635
PMCPMC5438762
OpenAlexW2591557384

What Socratic holds

Texttitle and abstract
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.