Trump Administration Cancels Crucial Funding for Diabetes Prevention Program

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has cancelled crucial funding for the nationwide Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). For the last 30 years, the DPP gathered valuable data tracking patients with diabetes and prediabetes. Although the reasoning behind the move remains unclear, DPP investigators speculate this is a consequence of the Trump administration’s decision to rescind federal grants from Columbia University.¹

A recent move by the Trump administration cancelled $400 million in funding, a lot of which was crucial for ongoing scientific and medical research. | Image credit: © Grandbrothers - stock.adobe.com

Columbia University has played an important role in this space in recent years, handling the bulk of the DPP’s funding since 2022 and administering it to sites across the US. The Ivy League member garnered national attention last year in the wake of the war on Gaza; pro-Palestinian demonstrations erupted on campus and, from the Trump administration’s perspective, not enough was done to mitigate on-campus antisemitism.²

The initial DPP included a Lifestyle Change Program and investigated whether participating in their program or taking metformin could effectively prevent or lead to delays in type 2 diabetes.³ Results were very promising: Individuals reduced their risk for type 2 diabetes by 58% following program participation. In the years following, approximately 5% of those who partook in the DPP Lifestyle Change Program developed type 2 diabetes compared with 11% who were administered a placebo pill. Furthermore, the initiative was effective for everyone regardless of gender, race, or ethnicity, especially for participants 60 years and older (who reduced their risk by 71%). Metformin, taken twice a day at a dose of 850 mg, also contributed to a 31% risk decrease compared with placebo.

Since the conclusion of the DPP Lifestyle Change Program, the DPP Outcomes Study (DDPOS) has continued following those who participated in DPP—the lifestyle program or the metformin group—to study whether these individuals have had less health problems as they’ve grown older. A total of 2776 participants (88%) elected to join DPPOS. Notably, at the 10-year follow-up, DPP Lifestyle Change Program participants continued exhibiting delayed development of diabetes, with diabetes emerging 4 years later compared with the DPP placebo group (a disease delay by 34%). These delays were even greater in patients 60 years and older, who experienced diabetes development delays by 49%. The metformin group experienced delays of 18%, with diabetes developing 2 years later compared with the placebo group. Patient benefits related to the lifestyle program and metformin were also observed through 15 years of follow-up. Importantly, both the program and metformin were shown to be cost-effective and cost-saving for patients

A total of $400 million in funding was cut this month following the Trump order, $250 million of which was provided to the NIH.² Grant cancellations to this degree affects far more than the DPP, with numerous oncology, health equity, COVID-19 studies, and more, taking massive hits. The chaotic and abrupt nature of the cancellations have left researchers, clinicians, and professors frantically searching for solutions to avoid the discontinuing their studies. Over 400 grants were pulled from Columbia University, wrote The New York Times; however, multiple institutions often collaborate in larger-scale, extensive studies, meaning these impacts will be felt far beyond Columbia University.

References

1. Chen E. NIH cancels funding for landmark diabetes study at a time of focus on chronic disease. STAT. March 17, 2025. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://www.statnews.com/2025/03/17/trump-cuts-columbia-university-nih-cancels-diabetes-prevention-program-study/?utm_campaign=daily_recap&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8eEK8LvpJV3FsQ6v4l0HnUjmLARbMjpTJrI7D5fqhoHvTwXjnnAi1_MQAKgFVUdAhqM2sxbTfdm0hyDV5MEsRxLkJQSA&_hsmi=352305958&utm_content=352305958&utm_source=hs_email

2. Goldstein J. Medical research at Columbia is imperiled after Trump terminates funding. The New York Times. March 18, 2025. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/nyregion/columbia-research-grants-trump.html

3. Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Updated August 2021. Accessed March 18, 2025. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/about-niddk/research-areas/diabetes/diabetes-prevention-program-dpp