New Diabetes Study Ties Weight Loss Results To Remission

February 2018 – A recently published study once-again pointed to the link between excess body weight and Type 2 Diabetes.  In the current study, it was shown that 10-pounds of sustained weight loss for at least a year can result in the remission of the disease.

Published in The Lancet, the study conducted a trial across 49 primary care practices in the United Kingdom, enrolling more than 300 individuals ranging in age from 20 to 65, all with a Body-Mass-Index (BMI) of between 27 and 45.  They were placed on a restricted diet as they were weaned from their diabetic medications over a period of  three to five months.  Once glucose levels normalized, regular foods reintroduced to maintain an on-going dietary sustainability.

Nearly half—46%— of the intervention group was in diabetes remission, while only 4% in the control group achieved remission during the study period. In all, 24% of participants in the intervention group maintained a 33 or more pound weight loss after 12 months, compared to none in the control group.  Remission rates varied according to the amount of weight lost and maintained.

This theory, postulated and studied, by Amylin Pharmaceuticals prior to the launch of their first-in-class Byetta (exenatide) type-2 diabetes medication.  Byetta was designed to improve blood sugar (glucose) control in adults with type 2 diabetes, but appeared to provide the secondary effect (off-label effect) of reducing weight in patients.  Studies performed subsequent to product launch provided data to support the weight-reduction glucose-control link. This led the company to educate many about the connection, including several states (including California), and the federal government.

Type-2 Diabetes is a chronic condition requiring lifelong testing and medication, it is both a costly and difficult disease that many primary care offices struggle to manage effectively. In 2017, North America was reported as having the highest obesity rate in the world, according to the World Health Organization.

The Lancet study was reported in Medical Economics, December 28, 2017, by Rachael Zimlich, RN a freelance healthcare writer..