Diabetes Data-Assisted Remission Trial (DDART)

Data-Assisted Approach for High Intensity Medical Weight Loss for Diabetes Remission

The study team will study the efficacy of a high intensity medical weight loss intervention paired with a digital platform to create weight loss and induce remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared to a diabetes self-management education intervention. The digital platform provides the capability to tailor the treatment plan, provide automated support, and alert providers when a participant may need more support from the clinical team. If shown to be efficacious, this research could be highly impactful, causing us to rethink our approach to care for those with T2DM and shift the paradigm for millions of individuals in the United States. Furthermore, this approach will demonstrate the feasibility of helping people engage in metabolic treatment strategies in a way that is scalable leveraging digital and mobile solutions that extend the patient-provider relationship, shift care from episodic approaches to more of an on-going model that extends into the life of the patient, while also integrated within the healthcare system workflows.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Obesity; Type 2 Diabetes
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Medical weight loss; Behavioral: Diabetes education; Behavioral: Continuous glucose monitoring

Detailed Description

This project will determine if a data-assisted, high intensity medical weight loss intervention (HIWL) will lead to significant weight loss and diabetes remission in individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) 30-39.9 kg/m2 with T2DM of less than 6 years as compared to a diabetes self-management education intervention (DSME). Complete diabetes remission is considered to be achieved when the patient is not taking any anti-diabetes medication for at least 12 months, and the Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) is < 5.7%. Partial remission is achieved when the patient is not taking any anti-diabetes medication and has an HbA1c of 5.7-6.4% for at least 12 months.Using a randomized controlled study design, we will randomly assign 90 participants to HIWL, HIWL + continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), or DSME. Participants assigned to HIWL will receive a high intensity behavioral weight loss intervention delivered using a digital patient engagement platform. Participants will be prescribed a low calorie dietary plan and a recommended physical activity program designed to produce 15-20% weight loss over 12 months. Those assigned to HIWL + CGM will receive the same intervention as HIWL; in addition we will provide them with CGM to use as part of their remote monitoring on a daily basis. Those assigned to DSME will participate in a comprehensive diabetes education program designed to provide education and skills for optimal diabetes management plus lifestyle modification counseling to produce 5% weight loss over the same timeframe. The primary outcome of weight loss will be assessed at 12 months.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 64
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States, 27157
      • Wake Forest Univesity Health Sciences

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion:

• Individuals with T2DM diagnosed within the past 6 years
• Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30-39.9 kg/m2.
• Participants must have an HbA1c between 6.5-11.9%.
• Participants should be able to participate in all aspects of the recommended interventions, including being able to participate in exercise, make recommended dietary changes, and engage in individual and group counseling.

Exclusion criteria:

• Poorly controlled depression
• Recent hospitalization for psychosis or bipolar disorder
• Poorly controlled blood pressure (>159/99)
• Prior surgical procedure for weight control or liposuction
• Unable to make changes to their diet
• Unable to exercise (walk for at least 6 minutes and perform simple strength and stretch exercise tests)
• Use of weight loss medications in previous 3 months
• Recent self-reported weight change (+/- 15lbs)
• Current use of oral corticosteroids more than 5days/month
• Cardiovascular disease event within the past 6 months
• Severe pulmonary disease requiring supplemental oxygen
• Renal failure (end stage renal disease)
• History of non-skin cancer in the past 5 years
• Major liver dysfunction within the last 2 years
• Recently quit smoking less than 6 months prior
• Inability to attend visits and adhere to study protocols
• Pregnancy or currently lactating

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: High intensity medical weight loss (HIWL); Participants randomized to the HIWL treatment group will be placed on a meal replacement-based weight loss protocol. Participants will consume a minimum of 80 grams of protein daily in 4-5 servings of meal replacement. Participants will begin to incorporate food into their routine beginning at week 13 with guidance from a dietitian. From weeks 13-24, caloric prescriptions will be between 1100 to 1600 calories a day, using a combination of meal replacements and food, for continued weight loss. Beyond week 25, caloric intake will be individually tailored to achieve continued gradual weight loss or maintenance of body weight based on individual weight loss goals. We will recommend continued use of at least 1 serving of meal replacement per day for maintenance of weight loss.	Behavioral: Medical weight loss; Participants will be prescribed intensive medical weight loss with the goal of achieving 15% weight loss from initial weight
Active Comparator: Diabetes self-management education (DSME); The DSME intervention will be administered and delivered at the Wake Forest Baptist Health Diabetes Center, located next to the Weight Management Center, by a team of certified diabetes educators, nurses, and nutritionists in group and individual settings. The diabetes education program is accredited by the American Diabetes Association in recognition of meeting national standards for diabetes self-management education. The goal of the program is to provide participants with information to make informed decisions about how to best integrate diabetes management strategies into their daily lives. Assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation are the basic components of the diabetes education process.	Behavioral: Diabetes education; Participants will receive standard of care diabetes education
Experimental: High intensity medical weight loss (HIWL) plus continuous glucose monitoring (CGM); Participants randomized to the HIWL + CGM treatment group will be placed on a meal replacement-based weight loss protocol as described in the HIWL arm. In addition, the participants in this arm will receive a supply of continuous glucose monitors to use throughout the trial. The CGM we provide will give the patient instant feedback on blood glucose levels and be readable using a mobile phone device or an associated CGM reader. The data from the CGM will be integrated into the Carium app and used to help guide the patient's actions based on defined care pathways.	Behavioral: Medical weight loss; Participants will be prescribed intensive medical weight loss with the goal of achieving 15% weight loss from initial weight; Behavioral: Continuous glucose monitoring; Participants will use CGM devices to track blood glucose levels in near real time

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Body Weight	Change in weight from baseline	baseline through 12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Hemoglobin A1c	Change in hemoglobin A1c	baseline through 12 months
Automated Self-Administered 24-hour (ASA24) Total Daily Energy Intake	kilocalories averaged across 3 days	baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
ASA24 Macronutrient Composition of Diet	%Carbohydrate/Fat/Protein; averaged across 3 days	baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
ASA24 Number of Eating Episodes Per Day	averaged across 3 days	baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
Daily Step Counts	Collected by pedometer over 7 days during each period. At the end of the 7th day, participants will record the final step count, and return the pedometer to the study team via a pre-stamped mail envelope.	baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
Number of Subjects in Diabetes Remission	Number of participants achieving A1c <6.5% and no anti-diabetes medications	12 months
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Time in Range	Average time spent at an average glucose of 100 mg/dL or lower collected by FreeStyle Libre.	baseline and month 12
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Time in Range--Post-meal Glucose	Average time spent at a post-meal glucose level of 110 mg/dL or lower collected by FreeStyle Libre.	baseline through 12 months
Continuous Glucose Monitor Time in Range--Fasting Glucose	Average time spent in normal fasting glucose between 72-85 mg/dL collected by FreeStyle Libre.	baseline through 12 months
Continuous Glucose Monitor - Episodes of Hypoglycemia	Number of episodes hypoglycemia (<70 mg/dL) episodes collected by FreeStyle Libre.	baseline and month 12
Continuous Glucose Monitor - Glucose Variability	Coefficient of variance collected by FreeStyle Libre.	baseline and month 12
Continuous Glucose Monitoring - Average Glucose	Average glucose (mg/dL) collected by FreeStyle Libre.	baseline and 12 months
ASA24 Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 Score	A validated summary measure of dietary quality, rated on a 100-point scale with a higher score denoting better diet quality	baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
Change in Quality of Life	The EuroQol's EQ-5D-5L will be used to measure quality of life. This instrument takes responses to five questions on mobility, self-care, ability to perform usual activities, pain, and anxiety/depression to produce a validated quality score. Total score range is 5-25 with a lower score indicating a better quality of life.	from baseline to month 12
Change in Perceived Health Rating	The EuroQol's EQ-5D-5L visual analog scale will be used to measure participants perceived health. On a scale of 0-100 participants will rate their health. 0 means the worst health you can imagine. 100 means the best health you can imagine.	from baseline to month 12

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAC) Short Form: Walking Minutes	A validated self-report measure of daily physical activity levels. Responses are given as minutes per day over the last week of walking for exercise. Outcome is average total minutes/week.	baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAC) Short Form: Sitting Time	A validated self-report measure of daily physical activity levels. Responses are given as minutes per day over the last week of sitting time. Outcome is average total minutes/week.	baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months
International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAC) Short Form: Moderate-vigorous Physical Activity Minutes	A validated self-report measure of daily physical activity levels. Responses are given as minutes per day over the last week of moderate and vigorous physical activity. Outcome is average total minutes/week.	baseline, 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Wake Forest University Health Sciences
• Collaborators: UnitedHealth Group
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jamy Ard, MD, Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 9, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 14, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): November 14, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 9, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 9, 2020
• First Posted (Actual): December 10, 2020

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 3, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 16, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Diabetes; Obesity; Weight management; Diabetes education; Diabetes remission
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Endocrine System Diseases; Nutrition Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Overweight; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Obesity; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Diabetes Mellitus; Investigative Techniques; Clinical Laboratory Techniques; Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; Diagnosis; Blood Chemical Analysis; Clinical Chemistry Tests; Diagnostic Techniques, Endocrine; Monitoring, Physiologic; Continuous Glucose Monitoring
• Other Study ID Numbers: IRB00067950

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data that underlie the results of any reported manuscripts after deidentification will be made available for the specified timeframes. Researchers who provide a methodologically sound proposal for analysis will be granted access.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Beginning 9 months and ending 36 months following any publication.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Proposals will need to be sent to jard@wakehealth.edu for review and approval. To gain access, data requestors will need to sign a data access agreement.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No