In a prospective cohort study with newly diagnosed diabetes aged 40–69 years, the researchers examined a cohort of 867 people aged between 40 and 69 years. The participants had enrolled in the ADDITION-Cambridge trial, a prospective study that assesses the effectiveness and helpfulness of diabetes screening. All the participants were monitored for five years during which some people received an intervention treatment (involving additional medical consultations and resources being provided) or a control group who received routine medical care.Remission was examined at 5 years after diabetes diagnosis using HbA1c.

     Diabetes remission was achieved in 257 participants (30%) at 5‐year follow‐up. Those who achieved ≥ 10% weight loss in the first year after diagnosis had a significantly higher likelihood of remission. In the subsequent 1–5 years, achieving ≥10% weight loss was also associated with remission. "This reinforces the importance of managing one's weight, which can be achieved through changes in diet and increasing physical activity.'' said first author Hajira Dambha-Miller, Ph.D. Dambha-Miller and colleagues are planning to find out how healthcare professionals can best support individuals with type 2 diabetes to achieve weight loss and maintain a healthy weight, in view of this intervention's role in reducing diabetes symptoms.

Read More