Type 2 Diabetes Remission can Restore Pancreas Size and Shape

Reversing type 2 diabetes has the ability to restore the insulin-producing capacity of the pancreas to normal levels, according to a recent study.

The study is presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).

Filter Coffee can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes Risk
Just a cup of filter coffee a day can ward off type 2 diabetes. So, coffee lovers rejoice and stay coffeelicious to fight diabetes.

‘Intensive weight loss remission in type 2 diabetes can restore the insulin-producing capacity of the pancreas to normal levels and restore the size and shape of the pancreas. It can be potentially used to predict the onset of type 2 diabetes by scanning the pancreas.’
Read More..

Tweet it Now

Previous research had revealed that remission of type 2 diabetes through weight loss could restore the insulin-producing capacity of the pancreas to normal. The new study reveals that reversing type 2 diabetes also has the same effect.

Type 2 diabetes is caused as a result of too high blood sugar level because the pancreas is not producing enough insulin along with insulin resistance.

Type 2 diabetes affects 1 in 11 of the world's adult population, and the number is steadily increasing.

Type 2 Diabetes Alters Heart Structure and Increases Death Risk
Type 2 diabetes could affect heart structure and increase the risk of complications and death in heart failure patients of Asian origin. It can also lead to poor quality of life.

People with type 2 diabetes have a pancreas that is reduced in size and abnormal in shape.

The study involved 64 participants from the landmark Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) and 64 controls without type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes Causes Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is caused by type 2 diabetes. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was carried out on the whole genome that identified a specific genetic locus which is linked to ED.

The participants were measured over 2 years for their pancreas volume and fat levels, and irregularity of pancreas borders using a special MRI scan. The beta-cell function, which is the key to the body's ability to make and release insulin, was also recorded.

People in remission were classified as achieving a glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of less than 6.5% and fasting blood glucose of less than 7.0 mmol/l, off all medications.

Ways to Reduce Risk of Type-2 Diabetes
For good health and weight loss, it is recommended to avoid white sugar and processed foods that are loaded with unhealthy carbohydrates, and unwanted calories. Processed food increases the risk of obesity, type-2 diabetes, and heart diseases.

The researchers found that the average volume of the pancreas in diabetic patients was 20% smaller at the beginning of the study. Pancreas borders were more irregular in people with diabetes than controls.

After 5 months of weight loss, the volume of the pancreas was unchanged irrespective of remission. However, after 2 years, the pancreas had grown on average by around one fifth in size in responders compared with around a twelfth in those who did not.

The responders also lost a significant amount of fat from their pancreas when compared with non-responders over the study period. They also achieved normal pancreas borders.

Sustained improvement in beta-cell function was seen in responders. The amount of insulin produced after 5 months of weight loss was higher in responders, and it was maintained after 2 years. However, non-responders had no change in insulin production.

The study provides proof that there is a link between main pancreatic tissue which produces digestive juices and the much smaller tissue which produces insulin.

The results of the study open possibilities to predict the onset of type 2 diabetes by scanning the pancreas.

Source-Medindia