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Can Diabetes Be Cured By Losing Weight?

Is Weight Loss A Cure For Type 2 Diabetes?

Is Weight Loss A Cure For Type 2 Diabetes?

It has been estimated that ∼10% of the U.S. population will be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by the year 2010. Cardiovascular disease accounts for 75% of all related deaths in diabetic patients. While the use of HMG CoA reductase inhibitors has contributed to a marked reduction in mortality in cardiovascular deaths, the benefit in type 2 diabetes has been disappointing. Patients with type 2 diabetes have a sixfold increased risk of a first-time myocardial infarction compared with nondiabetic patients (1). Additionally, diabetic patients have twice the risk of myocardial infarction. As cardiovascular mortality is the leading single cause of death in the U.S. and because patients with type 2 diabetes have a three- to eightfold increased risk of death, new treatment strategies need to be considered for this disease and its prevention (1). Dixon and O’Brien (2) describe the effects of laparoscopic adjustable gastric band surgery on the development of type 2 diabetes. All patients had severe obesity (BMI ≥35.0 kg/m2). One year after surgery, 64% patients had remission of diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes decreased from 10 to 5.6%. An additional 26% of patients with diabetes had an improvement in their control of diabetes. Gastric band surgery resulted in an average weight loss of 27 kg. HbA1c was reduced from 7.8 to 6.2%. The 1.6% fall in HbA1c was also associated with a 58-mg/dl decrease in fasting blood glucose concentration. Sjostrom et al.(3) demonstrated that over an 8-year period, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased from 8 to 25% in patients with severe obesity. However, unlike the short-term benefits described in the Dixon and O’Brien study, the prevalence of diabetes was 11% at baseline and 11% at 8 years after a 40-lb sustained weight loss. This Continue reading >>

Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Cured Through Weight Loss, Newcastle University Finds

Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Cured Through Weight Loss, Newcastle University Finds

Type 2 diabetes can be cured through weight loss, Newcastle University finds Type 2 diabetes can be reversed with weight loss, scientists have shownCredit:Bill Cheyrou/ Alamy Millions of people suffering from Type 2 diabetes could be cured of the disease if they just lost weight, a new study suggests. Scientists at Newcastle University have shown the disease is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas and losing less than one gram from the organ can reverse the life-limiting illness and restore insulin production. Type 2 diabetes affects 3.3 million people in England and Wales and, until now, was thought to be chronic. It can lead to blindness, stroke, kidney failure and limb amputation. For people with Type 2 diabetes, losing weight allows them to drain excess fat out of the pancreas and allows function to return to normal Professor Roy Taylor, Newcastle University But now researchers at Newcastle have shown that the disease can be reversed , even in obese people who have had the condition for a long time. 18 obese people with Type 2 diabetes who were given gastric band surgery and put on a restricted diet for eight weeks were cured of their condition. During the trial the patients, aged between 25 and 65, lost an average of 2.2 stone, which was around 13 per cent of their body weight. Crucially they also lost 0.6 grams of fat from their pancreas, allowing the organ to secrete normal levels of insulin. The team is now planning a larger two year study involving 200 people with Glasgow University to check that the findings can be replicated and weight loss can be sustained for two years. For people with Type 2 diabetes, losing weight allows them to drain excess fat out of the pancreas and allows function to return to normal, said Professor Roy Taylor, of Newcastle Uni Continue reading >>

How I Lost 140 Pounds, Cured My Type 2 Diabetes, And Saved Thousands In Medications

How I Lost 140 Pounds, Cured My Type 2 Diabetes, And Saved Thousands In Medications

In 2010, my doctor suggested that I purchase a funeral plot, because I would most likely need one within five years unless I lost weight and got my chronic health conditions under control. I was 51 years old and taking well over $1,000 in medications per month. I had type 2 diabetes; my total cholesterol was 300; my blood pressure was 160/100; I was about 320 pounds at 5’10”, my waist was 52 inches, and my shirt size was 3XL. I was constantly exhausted and sleeping ten to twelve hours each night. It was becoming harder and harder to walk, and I couldn’t tie my shoes or walk up a few stairs without becoming out of breath. I was single but hadn’t been on a date in 15 years and stopped attempting to maintain friendships or even leave my home except when absolutely necessary. I had been overweight for 30 years and was morbidly obese. I had tried most of the fad diets marketed for weight loss in this country, including Atkins, South Beach, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, and many more. I used my best efforts to follow each of those diets, and was usually able to lose some weight. But eventually I found all of them to be unsustainable, and when each failed I quickly regained the temporary weight loss, plus an extra ten pounds. And then I would resume eating packaged and processed foods that were delivered to my home or served to me through the window of my car. My final straw came in August 2010, as I was returning home from a business trip. My flight was delayed when my airline ran out of seat belt extensions, and the regular seatbelt was too short for me to buckle. As my airplane sat at the terminal, the man next to me said that he would miss his connection because I was too fat. When I returned home, I made an appointment to schedule bariatric surgery. But the next d Continue reading >>

The Cure For Type 2 Diabetes Is Known, But Few Are Aware

The Cure For Type 2 Diabetes Is Known, But Few Are Aware

The cure for type 2 diabetes is known, but few are aware I recently posted to Facebook about a cure for diabetes and suggested someone try it. Just six days later, I received the following message from a friend: I just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for that post… My lab results at the beginning of the month were 230. After just this last week it’s down to 155. I think I’ll be in normal range within a month. Really miraculous… It’s really been a game changer for me already and I wanted you to know how much I appreciated the info and how much of a difference I think it will make in my life. Four months later, the friend posted this to Facebook: I started on this regiment when Nathan posted about it [four months ago]. My blood glucose level at that time, while taking two daily glucose meds, was 235. Two weeks ago, my [fasting] glucose level, WITHOUT the meds, was 68. If you google “diabetes cure” you are directed to websites like WebMD and the Mayo Clinic where you find information on diet, exercise, medication, and insulin therapy, but nothing about the cure. This lack of information may have to do with the fact that Americans spend $322 billion a year to treat diabetes, $60 billion a year on weight-loss programs, and $124 billion a year on snack foods. This is about 3% of the US economy! Because so many peoples’ livelihoods are supported by diabetes and its main cause, obesity, the viral effect of people getting cured and telling others is greatly diminished. Because of this understandable stifling of the message, if you are like my Facebook friend and have already experienced the type 2 diabetes cure for yourself — there are thousands of you out there — it is important for you to share your success stories as far and wide as possible. You c Continue reading >>

Radical Diet Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, New Study Shows

Radical Diet Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, New Study Shows

A radical low-calorie diet can reverse type 2 diabetes, even six years into the disease, a new study has found. The number of cases of type 2 diabetes is soaring, related to the obesity epidemic. Fat accumulated in the abdomen prevents the proper function of the pancreas. It can lead to serious and life-threatening complications, including blindness and foot amputations, heart and kidney disease. A new study from Newcastle and Glasgow Universities shows that the disease can be reversed by losing weight, so that sufferers no longer have to take medication and are free of the symptoms and risks. Nine out of 10 people in the trial who lost 15kg (two-and-a-half stone) or more put their type 2 diabetes into remission. Prof Roy Taylor from Newcastle University, lead researcher in the trial funded by Diabetes UK, said: “These findings are very exciting. They could revolutionise the way type 2 diabetes is treated. This builds on the work into the underlying cause of the condition, so that we can target management effectively. “Substantial weight loss results in reduced fat inside the liver and pancreas, allowing these organs to return to normal function. What we’re seeing … is that losing weight isn’t just linked to better management of type 2 diabetes: significant weight loss could actually result in lasting remission.” Worldwide, the number of people with type 2 diabetes has quadrupled over 35 years, rising from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. This is expected to climb to 642 million by 2040. Type 2 diabetes affects almost 1 in 10 adults in the UK and costs the NHS about £14bn a year. Type 2 diabetes is usually treated with medication and in some cases, bariatric surgery to restrict stomach capacity, which has also been shown to reverse the disease. Continue reading >>

Weight Loss As A Cure For Type 2 Diabetes

Weight Loss As A Cure For Type 2 Diabetes

Weight Loss as a Cure for Type 2 Diabetes Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab.2011;6(4):557-561. Although individuals with obesity and Type 2 diabetes are insulin resistant, pancreatic -cell failure is the core defect that distinguishes individuals who eventually develop diabetes. This process is known to occur well before the onset of hyperglycemia. Although clinical trial data support the effectiveness of intensive lifestyle modification in delaying the onset of diabetes in obese subjects, less is known about the effects of, and mechanisms underlying, bariatric surgery, particularly gastric bypass surgery, on diabetes. The paper under evaluation clarifies the role of both lifestyle intervention and gastric bypass surgery on pancreatic -cell function and raises questions regarding the role of weight loss versus incretin-related mechanisms on recovery of -cell failure. The current pandemic of Type 2 diabetes and obesity has created an urgent need to identify effective therapeutic interventions targeting both of these chronic debilitating conditions. Obesity and diabetes are closely interrelated (see Figure 1) in that risk factors such as physical inactivity and poor diet lead to weight gain and precipitate insulin resistance in important insulinsensitive tissues, particularly skeletal muscle, liver and adipose tissue. It is known that obese and insulin-resistant diabetic patients have a positive energy balance, high fat and high carbohydrate intake, increased abdominal adipose tissue, elevated free fatty acids, increased secretory products of adipocytes mediating inflammation, including TNF- and IL-6, and reduced secretion of adiponectin.[ 1 , 2 ] These factors have been shown to be part of the underlying mechanisms of glucose intolerance and contribute to reduced skeletal mus Continue reading >>

Type 2 Diabetes Reversed With Weight Loss: Super Low-calorie Diet May Cure The Disease

Type 2 Diabetes Reversed With Weight Loss: Super Low-calorie Diet May Cure The Disease

Update | Hundreds of people went on an extreme diet with the hopes of curing their Type 2 diabetes. For some of them, it worked. A study published in The Lancet on Tuesday chronicles a remarkable change in the health of its participants. One of the findings—that a calorie-restricted diet leads to weight loss—is hardly groundbreaking. But the effect that losing weight had on diabetes was dramatic. For nearly half of the people on the diet (86 percent of the 36 people lost more than 30 pounds), their diabetes appeared to be gone a year later. The technical term the authors used was “remission.” That term indicates that the levels of red blood cells connected to sugar molecules had fallen below a certain limit even without medication. That limit, often used as a shorthand to diagnose diabetes, is known as HbA1c. It's an indicator of average long-term blood sugar levels and may also be related to the risk of developing complications from diabetes. "'Cure' implies absolute and lasting absence of disease—such as curing tuberculosis. Remission recognises that the person is still susceptible to diabetes and emphasises that continued attention to weight control is vital," said Dr. Roy Taylor, a researcher at Newcastle University and one of the authors of the paper. If the people in this study regain the weight, "then it is certain that the diabetes will come back." Dr. Sona Shah, an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health, said that doctors knew that if a person lost between 5 to 10 percent of their weight, it could help improve their HbA1c levels. “I’ve seen that many times in many of my patients.” “It gives more evidence and credibility to what we’ve been doing,” she said. "If we can get them controlled by lifestyle alone, I think that’s a huge goal for m Continue reading >>

How To Reverse A Diabetes Diagnosis By Losing Weight

How To Reverse A Diabetes Diagnosis By Losing Weight

Here's something shocking to think about: 40 percent of Americans are obese — and that number is the highest it's ever been. And here's another jaw-dropping statistic: 29 million Americans have type 2 diabetes. If you fall into either of these categories, the good news is there are simple steps you can take to make lasting changes. For example, you only need to lose 5 percent of your body weight to seriously start reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes. And you only need to lose 1 gram of fat from your pancreas (where your insulin lives) to reverse the symptoms of diabetes, according to one small study. The connection between a small amount of weight loss with a large health benefit is not new. A 2012 study found reducing body mass index (BMI) by just five units could help reverse diabetes, regardless of your initial BMI. Diabetes can be a confusing topic — here are a few things you should know. There are two very different types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes involves the absence of insulin, a critical hormone needed to help control blood sugar levels. It has often been referred to as juvenile diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes. Type 1 diabetes represents a very small percentage of total diabetes cases and has nothing to do with being overweight or obese. The other form is called type 2 diabetes (often referred to as adult onset or noninsulin dependent). Type 2 diabetes makes up 95 percent of all diabetes cases and it’s highly correlated to weight. Individuals with type 2 diabetes produce insulin, but the hormone is not sensitive enough to the rise and fall of blood sugar levels. This form of the disease may start as insulin resistance or prediabetes. Both types of diabetes are serious and can lead to several adverse health outcomes, like nerve damage, impaired Continue reading >>

Type 2 Diabetes: Can You Cure It? - Topic Overview

Type 2 Diabetes: Can You Cure It? - Topic Overview

Can you "reverse" type 2 diabetes? Can you cure it? Diabetes can go into remission. When diabetes is in remission, you have no signs or symptoms of it. But your risk of relapse is higher than normal.1 That's why you make the same daily healthy choices that you do for active type 2 diabetes. There is no known cure for type 2 diabetes. But it can be controlled. And in some cases, it goes into remission. For some people, a diabetes-healthy lifestyle is enough to control their blood sugar levels. That means losing weight if you are overweight, eating healthy foods, and being more active. But most people with type 2 diabetes also need to take one or more medicines or insulin. Of those people who don't need diabetes medicine, some find that their diabetes does "reverse" with weight control, diabetes-healthy eating, and exercise. Their bodies are still able to make and use insulin, and their blood sugar levels go back to normal. Their diabetes is in remission. "Complete remission" is 1 year or more of normal A1c and fasting glucose levels without using diabetes medicine. When you have complete remission, you still get tested for high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and kidney and eye problems. You do regular foot checks.1 "Prolonged remission" is 5 years or more of normal A1c and blood sugar levels without using diabetes medicine. You might have lab tests less often. But your doctor will still check on any heart, eye, foot, or other health problems you have had from diabetes, even if they are better than before.1 Remission is most likely in the early stage of diabetes or after a big weight loss. It can also happen after bariatric surgery for weight loss, which can trigger healthy changes in the body's insulin system. Remission is less likely in the later st Continue reading >>

Reversing Diabetes Through Weight Loss: How Much Should You Lose?

Reversing Diabetes Through Weight Loss: How Much Should You Lose?

Your doctor probably preaches healthy eating habits and exercise to manage type 2 diabetes, and while both of those things work to help keep your blood sugar in check, they can also help you lose weight. And weight loss may be the key to reversing type 2 diabetes, according to an analysis published in September 2017 in the journal BMJ. The authors noted that losing 33 pounds (lbs) often helps put diabetes into remission. Yes, that sounds pretty specific, but it makes more sense if you consider that the data is based off of losing 15 kilograms, which equals 33 lbs. It's a bold statement, considering many people think type 2 diabetes is a chronic, lifelong condition. The specific figure is taken from previous research: A study published in May 2016 in the journal Diabetes Care found that 40 percent of people who lost about 33 lbs and kept it off for six months through a low-calorie diet were able to send the diabetes into remission. In that study, the authors concluded that type 2 diabetes “is a potentially reversible condition.” That said, it doesn’t mean that you should aim to lose 33 lbs specifically. “Further work on this is ongoing, regarding the actual weight loss needed,” says study coauthor Louise McCombie, RD, research associate at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Indeed, this is part of a larger body of research that will be presented at the International Diabetes Federation in December 2017. And while 40 percent of people sending diabetes into remission is an impressive figure, it also suggests that this is possible for some people but not everyone. The Connection Between Diabetes and Weight Loss It’s well established that losing weight if you have prediabetes can prevent the condition from developing into full-blown diabetes. According to the Continue reading >>

Will Diabetes Go Away?

Will Diabetes Go Away?

There is no cure for diabetes. Neither type 1 (juvenile onset or insulin-requiring) diabetes or type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes ever goes away. In type 1 diabetes, patients sometimes experience what physicians have come to call a "honeymoon period" shortly after the disease is diagnosed. During the "honeymoon period" diabetes may appear to go away for a period of a few months to a year. The patient's insulin needs are minimal and some patients may actually find they can maintain normal or near normal blood glucose taking little or no insulin. It would be a mistake to assume that the diabetes has gone away, however. Basically, type 1 diabetes occurs when about 90 percent of the body's insulin-producing cells have been destroyed. At the time that type 1 diabetes is diagnosed, most patients still are producing some insulin. If obvious symptoms of type 1 diabetes emerge when the patient has an illness, virus or cold, for example, once the illness subsides the body's insulin needs may decrease. At this point, the number of insulin-producing cells remaining may be enough — for the moment — to meet the person's insulin needs again. But the process that has destroyed 90 percent of the insulin-producing cells will ultimately destroy the remaining insulin-producing cells. And as that destruction continues, the amount of injected insulin the patient needs will increase — and ultimately the patient will be totally dependent on insulin injections. Scientists now think that it is important for people with newly diagnosed diabetes to continue taking some insulin by injection even during the honeymoon period. Why? Because they have some scientific evidence to suggest that doing so will help preserve the few remaining insulin-producing cells for a while longer. Patients diagnosed wi Continue reading >>

Can You Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

Can You Reverse Type 2 Diabetes?

It sounds too good to be true: reversing type 2 diabetes through exercise and healthy eating. While certain lifestyle changes are key to managing diabetes, whether you can actually turn back time so that it's like you never had diabetes is a different matter. That depends on how long you've had the condition, how severe it is, and your genes. "The term 'reversal' is used when people can go off medication but still must engage in a lifestyle program in order to stay off," says Ann Albright, PhD, RD. She's the director of diabetes translation at the CDC. Shedding extra pounds and keeping them off can help you better control your blood sugar. For some people, reaching a healthier weight will mean taking fewer medications, or in rarer cases, no longer needing those medications at all. Losing 5% to 10% of your body weight and building up to 150 minutes of exercise a week may help you to slow or stop the progress of type 2 diabetes. "If you sit [inactive] most of the day, 5 or 10 minutes is going to be great," Albright says. "Walk to your mailbox. Do something that gets you moving, knowing that you're looking to move towards 30 minutes most days of the week." In one study, people with type 2 diabetes exercised for 175 minutes a week, limited their calories to 1,200 to 1,800 per day, and got weekly counseling and education on these lifestyle changes. Within a year, about 10% got off their diabetes medications or improved to the point where their blood sugar level was no longer in the diabetes range, and was instead classified as prediabetes. Results were best for those who lost the most weight or who started the program with less severe or newly diagnosed diabetes. Fifteen percent to 20% of these people were able to stop taking their diabetes medications. Continue reading >>

Type 2 Diabetes: How To Lose Weight

Type 2 Diabetes: How To Lose Weight

Weight loss is a common recommendation for treatment for type 2 diabetes. Many people are overweight when they’re first diagnosed, and that extra fat actually increases their insulin resistance (when their bodies can’t properly use the hormone insulin). By losing weight, people with type 2 diabetes can become less insulin resistant, and they’re able to use insulin better. (To learn more about how the hormone insulin works, read our article on how insulin regulates blood glucose levels.) If you’ve recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and you're overweight, you should get started as soon as possible on a weight loss plan. It is important to work with a registered dietitian to help you figure out a plan that will work for you—a healthy meal plan, physical activity, and realistic goals will help you reach a healthy weight. There are many advantages to losing weight (and not just diabetes-related ones): Boost your energy level Lower your cholesterol levels (especially important for people with type 2 diabetes) Protect your heart (also important for people with diabetes, since heart-related complications are very common) Make it easier to control your blood glucose level As you may already know, losing weight can be a challenge, but don’t let that stop you. Do whatever you need to in order to stay motivated. It is the amount of calories we eat that contributes to weight gain. Make small changes. Learn portion sizes and reduce the amount of snacks in your day to reduce the total amount of calories you consume each day. Find cookbooks with healthier recipes using low-fat options. For a little fun, take our carb counting quiz to see how well you know the carb content of certain foods; this can help you make healthier choices. Work with a registered dietitian Continue reading >>

Weight Can In Fact Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, Study Shows

Weight Can In Fact Reverse Type 2 Diabetes, Study Shows

Mario Anzuoni—Reuters A new study discovered that weight loss really can cure diabetes. In a paper published in the Lancet, researchers in the United Kingdom discovered that patients with Type 2 diabetes went into remission when they lost weight, Time reports. Half of the patients in the study went on a 6-month diet plan, while the other half did not. Those that dieted and lost an average of 30 pounds saw their diabetes start to disappear. None of the patients took any daibetes medication for the disease during the study and instead focused exclusively on the effects of weight loss on the chronic condition. The diet involved three to five months of a liquid diet averaging no more than 850 calories a day, followed by two to eight weeks of reintroducing food. Patients were also given nutritional education and cognitive behavioral therapy. Researchers hope to point out with the study that diabetes doesn’t have to be a life-long sentence, and instead is something that can be fought with hard work. However, the weight loss treatment is only effective if done during the first few years of the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Patients who have been living with the disease for 10 years or more have also suffered a loss of some cells which make the weight loss method alone ineffective. Continue reading >>

How Weight Loss Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

How Weight Loss Can Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

TIME Health For more, visit TIME Health. An analysis published in The BMJ aims to let doctors and the public in on a little-known secret: Type 2 diabetes, in many cases, is curable. People can reverse their diabetes by losing about 33 pounds, say the authors of the new paper, despite popular belief that the diagnosis is always a permanent one. If more people were striving for this goal, and if more doctors were documenting instances of diabetes remission, complication rates and health-care costs could both be reduced dramatically, the authors say. The analysis is based on evidence from recent clinical trials. In one from 2011, people who were recently diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes returned their blood sugar levels to normal when they lost weight on a calorie-restrictive diet. In a 2016 follow-up study, people who had been diabetic for up to 10 years were able to reverse their condition when they lost about 33 pounds. TIME Health Newsletter Get the latest health and science news, plus: burning questions and expert tips. View Sample Sign Up Now Mike Lean, professor of human nutrition at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, is an author of both the new analysis and of those earlier trials. He says a person’s likelihood of remission from diabetes is greatest in the first five years after being diagnosed. Type 2 diabetes, he wrote in an email, is a disease “best avoided by avoiding the weight gain that drives it.” For people who do develop it, he believes that evidence-based weight-loss programs could help them achieve lasting remission. “Not all can do it, but they should all be given the chance with good support,” Lean writes. “Taking tablets or injections for life to reduce blood sugar is a poor second rate treatment.” Current guidelines for the managemen Continue reading >>

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