Type 2 Diabetes can be Remission With Weight Loss Program

Every person has a ‘personal fat threshold’ that, if exceeded, will allow type 2 diabetes (T2D) to develop, even if they are of lower body weight. T2D, the most prevalent type of diabetes, develops when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when that hormone’s function is compromised. Insulin is a hormone that aids in transferring food’s sugar into cells for use as fuel.

A recent groundbreaking study from Newcastle University demonstrated how and why an intense weight loss program puts T2D into remission in persons who are living with obesity or overweight. A BMI over 30 is a risk factor for T2D.

However, not all people with T2D are obese. 15% of T2D diagnoses occur in individuals with normal weight. In these circumstances, it is assumed that the illness has a different origin.

Can Excessive Fat Cause Type 2 Diabetes

The ReTUNE Study (Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes following Normalization of Energy Intake in the Non-obese) investigated whether losing weight can help reverse the illness in persons whose BMI is within or slightly above the ‘normal’ range (BMI less than 27 kg/m2).

It would support the notion that each of us has a ‘personal fat threshold’- a maximum amount of body fat we are capable of handling. If we exceed this threshold, even if our weight is normal, we will develop T2D.

The study, which was supported by Diabetes UK, included 20 men and women with T2D (average BMI 24.8kg/m2, average age 59.0 years).

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Following a weight loss program, they consumed 800 calories daily for two weeks (comprising low-calorie soups, smoothies, and non-starchy vegetables). After this, they maintained their new weight for four to six weeks. They cycled through this diet and followed a weight-maintenance program up to three times before losing 10-15% of their body weight.

After the trial, the outcomes were compared with a control group of 20 individuals without diabetes who were matched for age, sex and BMI.

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In earlier research, there were people with type 2 diabetes and overweight and obesity. 14 out of 20 patients (or 70%) with type 2 diabetes entered remission. Remission is being off all medications for at least six months and having an HbA1c (average blood sugar level) of less than 48 mmol/mol. At remission, the average participant had reduced 7.7 kg (10.7% of baseline weight).

Cause of Type 2 Diabetes in People with Normal Body Weight

Total body fat decreased from 32.1% to 27.7%, and the average BMI lowered from 24.8 to 22.4, compared to the control group of individuals without diabetes with a BMI of 21.5 on average and a total body fat percentage of 24.6%.)

The amount of fat inside the liver and pancreas significantly decreased, according to specialized MRI scans.

Although the average liver fat content of the research participants was 4.1%, which is considered normal, it was around three times greater than that of healthy controls of the same weight before it dropped to 1.4%, which is near the healthy control level.

The average amount of fat in the pancreas decreased to 4.3%, and the insulin-producing cells’ activity started to recover to normal.

This discovery is significant. Among patients with lower body weights, doctors frequently think that T2D has a distinct etiology and do not typically advise weight loss before prescribing diabetes medications and insulin.

Source-Medindia