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News
Canada could save hundreds of dollars per patient by adopting an NHS England-style diabetes prevention program (DPP) for adults with prediabetes, a new modeling study finds. Researchers focused on Ontario and Quebec — where up to 25% of adults have prediabetes — found the program would be less costly and more effective than standard care in roughly 75% of simulations. No Canadian province currently funds a public DPP.
Up to a quarter of Canadian adults have prediabetes, yet no province has a publicly funded diabetes prevention program (DPP). A new modeling study published in CMAJ suggests that's a missed opportunity — both medically and financially. Researchers modeled an NHS England-style DPP for adults with prediabetes in Ontario and Quebec, finding it would be cost-saving compared to usual care, which follows Diabetes Canada's standard lifestyle counseling recommendations.
The model assumed just one year of DPP participation would reduce a participant's likelihood of progressing to type 2 diabetes by 20% — a conservative estimate, given that clinical trials have shown reductions of 30%–70% over 3–5 years. That reduction translates into fewer hospitalizations, less diabetes-related care, and lower long-term costs.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Type 2 diabetes drives serious complications — blindness, kidney disease, heart disease — and strains healthcare systems. A publicly funded DPP could make evidence-based prevention accessible to lower-income Canadians who can't afford private dietitians or personal trainers, reducing long-term suffering and system-wide costs.
