Innovative study reveals weight loss as a game-changer in type 2 diabetes recovery

A study by researchers at Aman Hospital and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q), published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, reveals a strong, dose-dependent relationship between weight loss and the likelihood of achieving remission of type 2 diabetes – effectively reversing the condition – among individuals with diabetes who are overweight or obese.

The study findings indicated that for every 1% point reduction in body weight, the likelihood of recovering from diabetes increases by approximately 2%.

For example, among individuals who achieved a 20% weight loss, over 40% experienced diabetes recovery, attaining blood glucose levels comparable to those without the condition.

Importantly, demographic and clinical factors such as age, sex, diabetes duration, insulin use, initial haemoglobin A1c levels, and initial body weight did not impact the likelihood of diabetes recovery following weight loss.

The study also found that for every 1% reduction in body weight, the likelihood of achieving partial diabetes remission increased by approximately 3%.

For example, among individuals who achieved a 20% weight loss, approximately 60% were no longer classified as having diabetes, either fully recovering or attaining blood glucose levels within the prediabetes range.

Lead author Dr Sarah Kanbour, an endocrinology consultant at Aman Hospital and a researcher at the WCM-Q, said: “Our study demonstrates that living with diabetes does not have to be a lifelong destiny, offering hope to millions affected by this condition.

“Diabetes can be reversed through weight loss,” the WCM-Q alumna added. “Remarkably, among those who achieved over 30% weight loss, 79% experienced diabetes recovery, enabling them to live healthy lives without the need for medications or the fear of diabetes-related complications.”

“The study’s findings offer a window of hope and an opportunity to counter the rising prevalence of type 2 diabetes, one of the most widespread diseases worldwide,” senior author Dr Laith Abu-Raddad said.

“The key to combating diabetes is weight loss, and we are in a transformative era with diverse interventions capable of achieving substantial weight reduction effectively and with minimal side effects,” the professor of population health sciences at the WCM-Q added.