PRUDENTE Initiative- Treating Diabetes in Mexico

By: Ryane Daniels, MPH

Providing metformin, an affordable and effective diabetes medication, to lower income communities in Mexico is productive at preventing and treating diabetes onset.

450 patients under 65 years of age and who are overweight are currently enrolled in the PRuDENTE Initiative (Prevencion de Diabetes por Nutricion, Tratamiento y Ejerciocio), a joint partnership with UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations and UCSF Institute for Global Health Sciences. Patients were recruited from various primary care clinics in Mexico City, Mexico (more here).

This partnership with UCSF and Mexico has promising benefits towards reducing diabetes among vulnerable populations. California has higher rates of diabetes compared to Mexico, especially among the migrant farmworker population due to low economic status, food insecurity and other social and environmental factors.

Clinicians must respond to this epidemic by properly treating and preventing the disease. The study’s results can help determine better approaches for prevention.