RESUMO
To demonstrate the advantages of behavior-modifying education in the metabolic profile of the type-2 diabetes mellitus patient. A quasi-experimental study was performed with a control group. The experimental group was made up of 25 type-2 diabetic patients and the control group consisted of 24. The type of education carried out was a behavior modification. Baseline measurements and subsequent monthly measurements of serum glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides were carried out during 9 months after the intervention. The groups were controlled according to age and sex. The statistical analysis was performed using the Student's and Wilcoxon's test to determine the difference. The experimental group in comparison with the control group in the measurement after the intervention achieved a mean difference in serum glucose of 64.2 mg/dl (p=0.001), in the cholesterol of 31.6 (p=0.008), and in the triglycerides of 50.8 (p=0.006). The behavior-modifying education is a better option than traditional intervention for metabolic control in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients.