Real-World Effectiveness of Breathe Well-Being Diabetes Reversal Program in Reducing Blood Sugar Levels and Medication Count

Breathe Well-being Diabetes Reversal Program (BDRP) is a holistic care program which offers personalized and interactive Lifestyle Management (LSM). The program caters to individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and imparts education, coaching, and online community support to motivate them to engage in physical activity, reduce blood sugar levels, and eventually stop medications. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of BDRP in controlling T2DM and stopping medications.

Methods:

After obtaining consent, individuals with T2DM were divided into three cohorts (1:1:1) and treated with (1) BDRP along with doctor-prescribed medication, (2) BDRP along with doctor-prescribed medication and personalized stress reduction module, and (3) Only doctor-prescribed medication (control group). Cohorts 1 and 2 individuals showing high (H: >70%) and medium (M: ≥50%- < 70%) adherence and cohort 3 were followed up to 19 months, including 4 months of intervention.

Results:

In cohorts 1 (n=60) and 2 (n=61), there were 46.7% (28) and 54.1% (33) individuals with H and M adherence. At 19 months from baseline, the mean fasting blood sugar (FBS; mg/dL) in H and M cohort 1 reduced from 219.9 to 98.1 (p=0.003) and 232.3 to 109.7 (p=0.000), respectively, while in H and M cohort 2, mean FBS reduced from 234.6 to 103.6 (p=0.001) and 237.8 to 105.9 (p=0.000), respectively. In the control group, mean FBS reduced from 226.8 to 151.8 (p=0.000). At 19 months from baseline, the mean post prandial blood sugar (PPBS; mg/dL) in H and M cohort 1 reduced from 292.6 to 141.6 (p=0.003) and 306.4 to 150.1 (p=0.000), respectively, while in H and M cohort 2, mean PPBS reduced from 288.9 to 144.5 (p=0.001) and 318.5 to 146.3 (p=0.000), respectively. In the control group, mean PPBS reduced from 298.0 to 195.8 (p=0.000). Further, 90.2% individuals stopped the medications at 19 months in H and M cohorts 1 and 2 vs. none in the control group.

Discussion/Conclusion:

Individuals with T2DM showing high and moderate adherence to the BDRP program demonstrated significant reductions in FBS and PPBS. BDRP program showed potential in helping individuals control T2DM to such an extent that they could stop medication, which needs to be explored further in a larger population.