About the Clinic

Mission Statement
    "The University of South Florida (USF) Department of Family Medicine Prediabetes Treatment and Research Center is committed to providing state of the art treatment modalities for the prevention of the progression of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes mellitus through a program of interdisciplinary clinical and research excellence."

Historical Background
    Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions in the United States.  Between 1990 and 1998, the Centers for Disease Control reported a 22% increase in diabetes, and since the 1960’s, the disease has increased 5 fold.  Diabetes is the major cause of the following:  amputations not due to injuries, blindness in people less than 70, new cases of kidney failure, and is a major risk for heart disease.
    Recently, several large research studies, including the National Institute of Health’s Diabetes Prevention Study, have clearly shown that lifestyle changes and some medications can reduce the development of type 2 diabetes.  Since we know that type 2 diabetes develops several years before it is often diagnosed, a large amount of time generally exists to identify patients who will develop type 2 diabetes and plan successful interventions.
    The USF Prediabetes Treatment and Research Center was developed because of the good news that we have some ability to slow or stop the development of type 2 diabetes.  The health care professionals involved in this clinic are committed to bringing you state of the art health care in the treatment of prediabetes and prevention of diabetes, as well as expanding the scientific and research knowledge for this disease.

Clinic Operation
    The Prediabetes Treatment and Research Center meets at the Medical Clinics of the University of South Florida College of Medicine on Friday mornings.  At the clinic, both lifestyle and pharmaceutical treatment will be used.  New patients presenting to the clinic will be asked to fill out a questionnaire, providing medical information pertinent to prediabetes.  Patients of the clinic will be provided with a notebook containing extensive information on nutrition, physical activity, internet resources, and recommended supplements.  Physical and laboratory measurements will be obtained to assist in conducting research for the purpose of preventing the conversion of prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.