Dario Publishes New Research Revealing How Physical Activity Mediates the Impact of Depression on Blood Glucose Levels in Individuals with Diabetes or Prediabetes

New Research Confirms the Benefit of Dario’s Integrated, Data-Driven Approach to Health and Chronic Condition Management

NEW YORK, September 10, 2024 – DarioHealth Corp. (Nasdaq: DRIO) (the “Company”), a leader in the global digital health market announced today the publication of a new study in the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Endocrinology. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of Dario’s cardiometabolic solution for members living with diabetes or prediabetes and depression.

Approximately 18%–25% of people living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) experience depression1. The co-occurrence of these conditions can lead to poor health outcomes and increased costs for employers and payers, driving demand for integrated solutions to help improve clinical and financial results2,3. Dario’s cardiometabolic solution offers members with T2D and prediabetes highly individualized journeys to help manage conditions with a holistic approach that includes integrated mental health support. Data captured from each member’s journey, including clinical data such as blood glucose (BG) readings and behavioral data from engagement in digital tools, are integrated in a single, comprehensive data environment to support continuous personalization. This approach allows Dario to better understand the interconnected nature of depression and chronic conditions.

Dario’s capability to integrate data through the pedometer of a smart mobile device or steps being tracked by Apple Health enables a new way to assess the relationship between depressive symptoms and blood glucose levels in individuals with T2D over time, with a particular focus on walking activity as a potential behavioral mediator.

“This new research shows the importance of providing a holistic approach to health management. People living with chronic health needs are often trying to manage multiple needs at once, and we believe that Dario’s focus on driving healthy behaviors is necessary to improve health and realize better outcomes overall. We are excited to share this data and add new insights to reinforce the impact Dario offers to its members and partners,” said Yifat Hershcovitz, PhD., Vice President of Clinical and Scientific Affairs at Dario.

“Dario is uniquely positioned to help shed light on the relationship between physical and mental health thanks to the rich volume of data we are able to gather and analyze for insights that benefit our members and our partners. This new research exemplifies the advantages of our data-driven approach to digital health and supports the value of our integrated approach to help employers and health plans to tackle costly and frequently co-morbid conditions,” said Omar Manejwala, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Dario.

Improving Outcomes for Members with Co-Occurring Conditions

The new research used retrospective data from 989 users who regularly tracked their steps levels and BG levels for 12 months using Dario’s cardiometabolic solution.

This study demonstrates how regular walking can mitigate the negative impact of depression on blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, revealing the following:

• Dario members who reported depression exhibited higher average BG levels compared to those without depression. In both cases members experienced a significant decrease in BG levels during the initial 4 months of platform usage, followed by a stable period during months 4-12 of the monitoring.
• A statistically significant association was found between the depression status and BG levels. Also, a statistically significant association was found between the depression status and monthly average number of steps.
• The monthly average number of steps fully mediates the association between self-reported depression and monthly average BG.
• A significant decrease in monthly average blood glucose for users with monthly average number of steps a day above 400.

The new study supports the incorporation of walking into treatment protocols as a cost-effective and accessible intervention strategy to improve glycemic control and alleviate depressive symptoms in people living with T2D and depression.

The research was conducted in partnership with Integrative Pain Laboratory, the School of Public Health at the University of Haifa, Israel.

You can read the full study here.

Refs:

1. Darwish L, Beroncal E, Sison MV, Swardfager W. Depression in people with type 2 diabetes: current perspectives. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. (2018) 11:333–43.
2. Fisher E, Chan J, Nan H, Sartorius N, Oldenburg B. Co-occurrence of diabetes and depression: Conceptual considerations for an emerging global health challenge. J Affect Disord. (2012) 142 Suppl:S56–66.
3. Egede L, Walker R, Bishu K, Dismuke C. Trends in Costs of Depression in Adults with Diabetes in the United States: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2004–2011. J Gen Intern Med, (2016) 31(6): 615-622.

About DarioHealth Corp.

DarioHealth Corp. (Nasdaq: DRIO) is a leading digital therapeutics (DTx) company revolutionizing how people with chronic conditions manage their health through a user-centric multi-chronic condition platform. Our platform and suite of solutions deliver personalized and dynamic interventions driven by data analytics and one-on-one coaching for diabetes, hypertension, weight management, musculoskeletal pain, and behavioral health.

Our user-centric platform offers people continuous and customized care for health, disrupting the traditional episodic approach to healthcare. This approach empowers people to holistically adapt their lifestyles for sustainable behavior change, driving exceptional user satisfaction, retention, and results. Making the right thing to do the easy thing to do.

Dario provides its highly user rated solutions globally to health plans and other payors, self-insured employers, providers of care and directly to consumers. To learn more about DarioHealth and its digital health solutions, or for more information, visit https://www.dariohealth.com