Clinical similarity, economic divergence: cost-effectiveness and population health implications of dietary, pharmacological, and exercise interventions in older adults with type 2 diabetes.
Mediterranean diet and exercise prove cost-effective for managing older adults' diabetes compared to a medication alone over short-term follow-up.
This secondary RCT analysis (CEV-65) compared health economics of Mediterranean diet, empagliflozin, and exercise in 100 older T2DM patients, finding lifestyle strategies were cost-utility dominant while achieving similar short-term glycemic control to the SGLT2 inhibitor. The findings must be interpreted carefully given the 10-week follow-up window that cannot capture the well-established long-term cardiovascular and renal benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors.
What the study was
- Study design
- Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (CEV-65 trial, n=100)
- Population
- 100 older adults ≥65 years with type 2 diabetes (CEV-65 trial); comparison of Mediterranean diet, empagliflozin, and circuit resistance training
- Sample size
- 100
- Category
- Treatment Innovation
- Maturity
- Exploratory
- Journal
- BMC Geriatr
Why it surfaced
RCT-derived health economic comparison of lifestyle vs SGLT2i in elderly T2DM has direct clinical and policy relevance; findings inform value-based prescribing decisions for the aging population with growing diabetes burden.
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