Are apps the answer when it comes to diabetes prevention? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Using a number of AI driven prompts, a new app helped people with prediabetes make  several lifestyle changes to improve their blood sugar. The app was developed by diabetes expert Nas Mathioudakis and colleagues at Johns Hopkins, and compares favorably with a diabetes prevention program or DPP developed by the CDC.

Mathioudakis: This is not a one-size-fits-all. Some people absolutely loved the program they were assigned, others hated it and wished they had gotten the other version. A couple things that we noticed in this trial was this sort of the level of engagement was substantially higher with the AIDPP. It was a lot easier to start it faster. We mail them a digital health kit, they got the app, they were able to start it within just 11 days versus the human group you had to wait for a cohort to form in your area and often that was like a three week lag.   :31

Mathioudakis hopes to improve on the app by making it even more personalized and adaptive to emulate a human coach. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.