Type 2 diabetes breakthrough as 54% achieve remission in just 6 months
A promising new study suggests that more than half of younger adults with type 2 diabetes could achieve remission in just six months through a combination of a low-calorie diet and structured exercise. Researchers found that 54% of participants under age 45 who followed an intensive diet and exercise program achieved remission, compared with just 4% receiving usual care.
Key points
- In a trial, 54% of participants on an intensive diet and exercise program achieved type 2 diabetes remission within 24 weeks.
- Only about 4% of those receiving standard care reached remission, and the intervention group lost 7.5 kg more weight.
- The trial enrolled 96 adults aged 18 to 45 in England and Canada; side effects were more common with the intensive diet.
A structured program combining a low-calorie diet with supervised exercise helped more than half of participants with early-onset type 2 diabetes achieve remission within six months, according to a clinical trial presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and published in The Lancet Regional Health Americas.
The trial was led by Professor Kaberi Dasgupta of McGill University in Montreal and Professor Thomas Yates of the University of Leicester in the UK, with colleagues. It enrolled 96 adults aged 18 to 45 with early-onset type 2 diabetes and obesity who were not using insulin, at three research centers in England and Canada.
How the trial worked
Participants were randomly assigned to usual care or an intensive program: 800 to 900 calories daily plus supervised aerobic and resistance exercise twice a week and one independent session weekly for weeks 1 to 12. From weeks 13 to 24, they moved to a weight-maintenance diet and continued exercising independently.
Remission required an HbA1c level below 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) and no glucose-lowering medication for at least 12 weeks. Of the 50 people in the intervention group, 27 (54%) reached remission, compared with two of 46 (about 4%) receiving standard care. After statistical adjustment, the intervention group was 21 times more likely to achieve remission.
Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of combining structured aerobic and resistance exercise with a low energy diet in early-onset type 2 diabetes
— the study authors
Weight loss and side effects
Among intervention participants with weight data, average body weight fell from 100.7 kg to 92.3 kg over 24 weeks, while control participants lost 1.2 kg on average. After adjustment, the intervention group lost an average of 7.5 kg more, including 6.6 kg more fat.
No severe adverse events were reported, but at least one adverse event occurred in 43 of 50 intervention participants, compared with six of 46 in the standard care group. Most were early in the restrictive diet and included constipation, headaches, dizziness and fatigue, and generally resolved. The authors say longer studies are needed to see whether the benefits last.
