Subscribe to our Voices Dispatches email to receive a comprehensive summary of the top opinions from the week.
Enroll in our complimentary weekly Voices newsletter.
According to recent research, only a small number of individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes can effectively manage their condition solely through weight loss.
However, the study discovered that individuals who are successful in losing the most weight within the first year are the most probable to maintain their condition under control.
The results indicate that managing type 2 diabetes by maintaining weight loss is achievable in practical situations. However, only a small number of patients will be able to reach normal blood sugar levels through weight control alone, particularly in the long run.
The study suggests that patients should be given weight management interventions early on in order to improve their ability to maintain healthy blood sugar levels and avoid treatment.
.
Losing more weight during the first year after being diagnosed with diabetes was linked to a higher chance of reaching diabetes remission.
Andrea Luk, a student at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.
Earlier studies have indicated that individuals with type 2 diabetes can manage their blood sugar levels without medication by maintaining weight loss.
It is uncertain how many individuals can attain remission, meaning their blood sugar levels become normal and they no longer need medication, solely through weight loss in real-life situations.
The latest research examined a group of 37,326 individuals in Hong Kong who had recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The objective was to determine if patients were able to manage their condition by losing weight, and for what duration.
A study in Plos Medicine revealed that after approximately eight years of diagnosis, only 6% of individuals were able to successfully manage their diabetes through weight loss alone.
After initially reaching remission, two-thirds of individuals experienced elevated blood sugar levels three years after being diagnosed.
According to the researchers, these rates are notably lower than those seen in clinical trials.
According to Andrea Luk from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, losing more weight in the first year after being diagnosed with diabetes is linked to a higher chance of achieving remission from the disease.
The occurrence of diabetes going away was not common, with only 6% of individuals achieving this over the course of eight years. Additionally, half of those who initially experienced remission ended up having high blood sugar again within three years, suggesting that maintaining diabetes remission is difficult in a real-life scenario.
Individuals with elevated waist circumference and those who are overweight or obese have an increased susceptibility to developing type 2 diabetes.
During the research, individuals who lost 10% of their body weight within one year of being diagnosed with diabetes were over three times as likely to experience a remission in their condition. Those who lost 5% to 9.9% of their body weight were more than twice as likely, while those who lost up to 4.9% were around one-third more likely to see a remission compared to those who gained weight.
According to experts, a possible explanation for the difference in results between clinical trials and real-life situations is that participants in trials receive extensive lifestyle modifications such as guidance on dietary adjustments, physical activity, and mental well-being.
Source: independent.co.uk
