Diabetes Remission: Your Complete Guide to Reversal

We all know that there is a growing prevalence of type 2 diabetes these days due to an increase in obesity and stress, and lack of physical exercise. So far, the entire focus has been on blood sugar control and preventing complications.

However, the now focus has shifted to diabetes reversal and remission as more people are looking to improve their well-being and quality of life.

Diabetes: A Quick Brief

To understand how diabetes remission occurs, it is important to understand how type 2 diabetes develops.

About 90% to 95% of people with diabetes have type 2 of the form. In type 2 diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin or the body cells do not use the insulin produced effectively (known as insulin resistance).

Type 2 diabetes is common in people who are overweight or obese. So, the condition can be prevented or improved by maintaining optimum weight, eating healthy food and being active.

Following a healthy lifestyle can also prevent the development of insulin resistance (when the body cells and tissues do not respond to insulin) and help send type 2 diabetes into remission.

How does Type 2 diabetes occur?

When someone is overweight or obese and carries extra weight around their abdomen, fat builds up around organs like the liver and pancreas. This makes it difficult for these organs to work properly, leading to insulin resistance, prediabetes and eventually, type 2 diabetes.

However, not everyone who develops type 2 diabetes is overweight or obese. This is because several factors like age, ethnicity and family history also play an important role in type 2 diabetes risk. Since we cannot modify these factors, working on achieving and maintaining weight in the normal range is a key factor in achieving remission.

Type 2 diabetes is the only type of diabetes that can be sent into remission.

Another type of diabetes is type 1. Type 1 diabetes is believed to be caused by an autoimmune reaction that stops the pancreatic beta cells from producing insulin.

This type of diabetes is usually diagnosed early in life, in children and adolescents, due to which it is called juvenile diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes need to take insulin throughout their lives to keep their blood sugar levels under control and for their survival. This type of diabetes cannot be sent into remission.

What is Diabetes Remission?

Anyone with diabetes would rejoice at the possibility of not having to take medications to control their blood sugar levels, isn’t it? What if we told you that is possible? Yes, the possibility of remission is now a reality in diabetes.

But what exactly is remission?

Diabetes remission is when an individual has been successful in maintaining HbA1c within normal levels for at least six months with lifestyle modifications and without the use of any medicines. There is ample scientific research that proves lifestyle modifications can help restore normal blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

While remission sounds like the best-case scenario for people with type 2 diabetes who wish to live healthy lives, it is not as easy as it seems. Scientists and experts are still studying whether everyone with type 2 diabetes can go into remission.

It is normal to confuse diabetes ‘remission’ with ‘cure’. Due to factors like genetics and the presence or absence of complications, diabetes can be controlled but not cured completely. So, diabetes cure and remission are not the same.

However, with the right guidance from a team of expert diabetologists, nutritionists, fitness experts, and psychologists, diabetes remission can be achieved. If you successfully achieve diabetes remission, you must maintain your blood sugar levels within the normal range and continue your appointments with your doctor to ensure your remission continues.

It is common to see individuals who achieve diabetes remission let go of their discipline in maintaining blood sugar levels, causing their diabetes to resurface.

Types of Remission

Remission in diabetes can be of three types – partial, complete and prolonged.

• Partial Remission: You are said to be in partial diabetes remission when your HbA1C levels are between 5.7% to 6.4% and your fasting glucose levels lie between 100 to 125 mg/dL for atleast one year without using medications.
• Complete Remission: You are said to have achieved complete diabetes remission if your HbA1C levels are less than 5.7% and fasting blood glucose is less than 100 mg/dL for atleast one year.
• Prolonged remission: When you have maintained complete diabetes remission for atleast five years, it is said to be prolonged remission.

How Can You Achieve Remission in Diabetes?

Here’s how diabetes remission occurs:

1) Weight Loss

One of the most effective ways of diabetes remission is by achieving weight loss under the guidance of an expert. Excess weight around the abdomen brings about endocrine disturbances. These affect glucose metabolism in the body and contribute to a rise in blood sugar levels.

People who are overweight or obese can put their diabetes into remission if they lose a substantial amount of weight safely and right after their diagnosis. However, rapid weight loss is not advised.

Losing 5% to 10% has been associated with improvements in cardiovascular disease risk factors like decreased HbA1c, reduced blood pressure, and increased HDL cholesterol. The rate of diabetes remission was higher among people who lost more weight. While weight loss is a significant factor in achieving diabetes remission, it does not mean the disease has disappeared.

2) Exercise

A regular exercise routine can assist in your diabetes remission program, along with weight loss and dietary changes.

3) Very low-calorie diet (VLCD)

A very low-calorie diet can also improve insulin sensitivity and assist in diabetes remission. A very low-calorie diet allows the consumption of less than 800 calories per day and is proven to be very effective in weight loss. To maintain a healthy, optimum weight, we must eat a low-calorie diet under the guidance of a nutritionist.

Another crucial factor in achieving diabetes remission is the individual’s genetics. Even if all other factors support remission, it may not be possible due to unmodifiable genetic factors.

Researchers say that one of the key elements that can help with weight loss is expert-guided prolonged intermittent fasting. With an expert-guided intermittent fasting plan, nearly 45% of people with type 2 diabetes can achieve a medication dosage reduction or go into remission.

Here are some tips for weight loss using intermittent fasting:

• Eat within the given window. Eating one or two healthy meals a day can help you lose weight, especially in the early stages of diabetes.
• Initial weight loss usually helps remove the fat accumulated around the liver and pancreas, improving their function. As a result, the pancreas is able to produce adequate amounts of insulin to help bring your blood sugar levels down to the optimum range.

Bariatric surgery and diabetes remission

Some people with a very high BMI who do not fit into the criteria of undergoing remission by lifestyle changes, diet and exercise can opt for bariatric surgery for weight loss under the recommendation and guidance of their doctor and healthcare team. People with a BMI <35 kg/m2 are more likely to achieve diabetes remission and better blood glucose control than non-surgical treatment.

However, people who have undergone bariatric surgery should continue to use lifestyle modifications to maintain their diabetes remission.

Is Diabetes Remission Permanent?

Since there is no cure for type 2 diabetes, many people with this condition wonder if remission is permanent. There are several reports of people being in diabetes remission for over 15 years.

However, to ensure your diabetes remission continues for the long term, you must continue to follow a healthy lifestyle, eat a nutritious diet, stay active and continue your follow-up visits with your doctor.

If your diabetes is in remission, you must understand it is not a one-time event. To maintain your diabetes in remission, you must be consistent in your efforts to keep your blood sugar levels in the normal range. You must also undergo regular HbA1c level checks and keep them under 6.5%.

What are the Advantages of Diabetes Remission?

There are several advantages of diabetes remission, such as:

• Motivates you to maintain optimum weight
• Keeps your blood cholesterol levels within the normal range
• Allows you to maintain normal blood pressure levels
• Prevents diabetes-related complications of the eyes, kidneys, heart and feet
• Improves overall health, well-being and quality of life

FitterTake

Many people with type 2 diabetes are often discouraged when they realize their condition is permanent. But, with the right guidance from diabetologists, nutritionists and fitness experts, you can achieve diabetes remission for a long time.

However, the moment you let go of your weight and lifestyle control, your diabetes can return. For this reason, we at Fitterfly, under the guidance of our expert team of coaches, focus on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle to reduce obesity and encourage you to take your health into your hands.

Need help with diabetes remission? Sign up for our Diabetes Prime Program right away, or you can just give a missed call at 08069450746 to know more.

**Diabetes Remission is the clinical term for Diabetes Reversal.