People who experience recovery from type 2 diabetes after losing weight may experience continued absence of disease after five years.
This is according to a press release from Newcastle University 1. The research was presented at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference 2023 in April 2023.
The mentioned results concerned participants who took part in an extension of an earlier study.
Get better
The study that the current study built on consisted of a weight reduction program. The participants were people who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the last six years before the study started. The participants followed a 12-week low-calorie diet. Afterward, they were followed up by health personnel and were helped to gradually reintroduce healthy food so that they would not put on weight again.
The study showed that recovery (remission) from type 2 diabetes is possible through dietary measures. About half of the participants were better after one year, and 36 percent after two years.
Received support for three more years
In the extension of the study, they wanted to see what advantages the program gave in the long term. There, 95 of the participants from the original study received support to maintain their weight loss for a further three years. They received appointments with a nurse or nutritionist every three months.
At the controls, weight, blood sugar level, and blood pressure were measured. In addition, the participants were offered advice and support to maintain their weight.
Those who put on more than two kilos during this period were offered an additional support package. This package consisted of low-calorie soups and shakes for four weeks, followed by support when starting to eat normally again.
The participants in the control group, which consisted of 82 people, were encouraged to lose weight.
They did not receive follow-up or offers of packs of soups and shakers.
Better blood sugar and blood pressure
Of those who experienced improvement at the beginning of the extended period, 23 percent were still in recovery (remission) after five years. The average weight loss over the five years was 8.9 kilos.
The control group had an average weight loss of 4.6 kilograms and 3.4 percent were in remission.
Those who participated in the weight reduction program also had greater improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar. In addition, fewer people needed medication compared to the control group.
The proportion of serious incidents, i.e. incidents of illness that led to hospitalization, was half as many among those who participated in the program.
Can be life-changing
The findings support existing research showing that weight loss and recovery from type 2 diabetes can prevent or delay complications from the disease.
– For those who achieve remission of type 2 diabetes, this can be life-changing and give greater opportunity for a healthier future. For those who do not go into remission, losing weight can still have major health benefits. Among other things, it can improve blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of serious diabetes complications such as heart attack or stroke, says Dr. Elizabeth Robertson, director of Diabetes UK in the press release.
