Sending Type 2 Diabetes Into Remission

A recent study appearing in the Journal of the American Medical Association examined the relationship between an intensive, long-term weight-loss intervention and the frequency of remission from type 2 diabetes to either prediabetes or normoglycemia.

The study was initiated because researchers felt that the remission of type 2 through lifestyle intervention was unclear. How often does it happen? To what degree is it achievable? They asked some reasonable questions and sought meaningful answers.

Trial Design

This was a 4-year randomized, controlled trial that compared an intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) with a diabetes support and education control condition (DSE) among 4,503 U.S. adults whose body mass index (BMI) was 25 or higher and who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

  • The ILI group (2,241 patients) received weekly group and individual counseling for six months, then three sessions monthly for six months, followed by twice-monthly "contact and regular refresher group series and campaigns" for the next three years.
  • The DSE group (2.262) received 3 group sessions per year on diet, physical activity and social support.

The study used the following outcome measures: Partial or complete remission of diabetes, defined as transition from meeting diabetes criteria to a prediabetes or nondiabetic level of glycemia (fasting plasma glucose


Results

After the first year, those in the ILI group lost a lot more weight than the DSE group, and they were much more physically fit than the DSE group.

Those in the ILI group were also far more likely to experience diabetes remission (either partial or complete) than those in the DSE group:

  • - Remission rates among the ILI group after one year: 11.5%
  • - Remission rates among the ILI group after four years: 7.3%
  • - Remission rates among the DSE group after one year: 2.0%
  • - Remission rates among the DSE group after four years: 2.0%

With regard to continuous, sustained remissions among the ILI group:

  • - Lasting at least 2 years: 9.2%
  • - Lasting at least 3 years: 6.4%
  • - Lasting at least 4 years: 3.5%

With regard to continuous, sustained remissions among the DSE group:


  • - Lasting at least 2 years: 1.7%
  • - Lasting at least 3 years: 1.3%
  • - Lasting at least 4 years: 0.5%

Conclusions

To begin, it's reasonable to conclude that remission rates in general were fairly low, peaking at just 11.5% (researchers called them "modest"). However, "an intensive lifestyle intervention was associated with a greater likelihood of partial remission of type 2 diabetes compared with diabetes support and education."

Commentary

Many in the medical community are urging that ILI not be called a "cure," and that's fair. But when you have 257 people out of 2,241 who took part in intensive lifestyle intervention and experienced some level of remission for at least the first year, when they no doubt received far more social support and other incentives than the remaining three years, compared to just 45 people out of 2,262, even if those percentages aren't high it's difficult to ignore: It is possible to put type 2 diabetes into some level of remission.


The question is, what separated these people from the others? Was it something simply in their dedication to the program? Their constitutions? Or was it something about their disease? Their own body chemistry?


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...