“Can I get rid of my diabetes?” There is an answer, and I’ll explain. Here’s the lowdown:
After being diagnosed with diabetes you can’t really get rid of it. There’s no cure. BUT a small percentage of people with Type 2 diabetes can return to having normal blood sugars, especially after metabolic/bariatric surgery or losing a lot of weight.
Unfortunately, over time, the diabetes can “come back.” That’s why there’s not really a “cure.”
Diabetes Remission is the new standardized term when blood sugars return to normal after diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes.
You may have heard the terms “reversing” or “resolving” diabetes. These are often associated with unsubstantiated claims.
The American Diabetes Association, the Endocrine Society, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and Diabetes UK came together and developed a consensus statement in August 2021. They decided the correct term is diabetes remission and then defined it.
Diabetes remission is defined as an A1c less than 6.5% for at least three months after discontinuing glucose-lowering medication. It doesn’t matter if you attained this improvement through lifestyle changes, metabolic surgery, or other means.
I don’t know very many people who have achieved diabetes remission. However, I definitely remember Joe. At diagnosis, he took his diabetes seriously and totally changed his lifestyle. He exercised over an hour a day and was very strict with his diet. Joe was so happy that all his numbers were in target. He was so proud to tell me his diabetes “went away!” Unfortunately, Joe stopped all the changes that helped him manage his diabetes since he didn’t have it anymore. I bet you can guess what happened. Yep, his diabetes came back.
Even people experiencing remission require continued monitoring because glucose can rise again. Certain medications, weight gain, stress from other forms of illness, and further decline in insulin production can all cause a reoccurrence of T2 diabetes.
So even in remission it is important to have a yearly A1C.
Here’s the other thing:
Even after remission, the classic complications of diabetes can still occur.
Because it is possible to still get complications, even in remission, it’s important to have these screenings:
- Eye/retina exam
- Kidney function
- Foot evaluation
- Blood pressure
- Weight
- A1C
Hopefully, now that we have a standardized definition more research can be done on diabetes remission .
So it is true that blood sugar returns to normal in a small percentage of people. They still need to be monitored to make sure diabetes doesn’t reoccur and any complications can be detected early.
Source: Consensus report: definition and interpretation of remission and Type 2 diabetes
PRO TIP ~ It’s best to prevent diabetes if possible. After getting diabetes, few go into remission. There is strong evidence that making lifestyle changes can delay or prevent diabetes.
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