Effects of Short-term Mobile Application Use on Weight Reduction for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has led to a significant health burden. Technological advancements have highlighted the benefits of digital therapeutics for chronic diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of a mobile application on weight reduction in patients with T2DM. Methods: A total of 48 patients with T2DM was included in this single-center, randomized, controlled trial. In addition to conventional treatment, participants in the intervention group used a mobile application-based selfmanagement system for diet, exercise, and medication adherence. The primary outcome of this study was weight change after 3 months of intervention, and secondary outcomes were metabolic parameters. Results: After 12 weeks, no significant differences in body weight change were observed between the intervention and control groups (P=0.229). However, a significant difference was found in waist circumference (WC) between the two groups, wherein the control group showed an increase in WC (from 95.008.89 cm to 95.76 9.72 cm), while the intervention group showed a reduction (from 91.936.25 cm to 90.756.01 cm) with a significant time by group interaction (P=0.016). Additionally, participants with good compliance exhibited a more evident reduction in WC (P=0.037). However, no significant differences were found in other metabolic parameters between the two groups. Conclusion: Lifestyle modification using short-term mobile applications effectively reduced WC, especially in patients with good adherence to the application. However, weight reduction was not achieved.