There has been a huge amount of interest in the relationship bewteen Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and weight recently.  Particularly how weight loss and changes to diet can change how people are affected by T2D.  Having T2D has big impacts on quality of life, and risk for Heart disease, Kidney disease and Eye diseases. 

There have been a number of studies talked about in the media that show that loosing weight and changing diet appear to send T2D into remission (in otherwords people who at one time had signs and symptoms of T2D don't have them anymore).  We aren't sure if it's "a cure" yet, but it's still a big deal.

This is where the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) comes in.  To be on the trial you had to have T2D diagnosed within the last 6 years and have a BMI between 27 and 45.

The study involved a control group who carried on their day to day lives as usual and a study group who put on a weight loss and management programme.

The primary outcomes the study was trying to measure were  

1.  Weight loss of 15kg or more
2.  Remision of Diabetes  (HbA1c* of less than 6.5% or less than 48mmol/mol)

The headlines from the study were

1. 24%  of study group had lost at least 15Kg at 12 months 
2. None of the control group had lost at least 15kg
3. The average weight loss over the 12 months was 10 Kg for the whole of the study group
4. The average weight loss over the 12 months was 1 Kg for the whole of the control group
5. HbA1c fell by 0.9% on average in the study group.  It went up in the control group.
    

If you've got T2D or you know someone who might benefit from talking to us please get in touch 

*HbA1c can be thought of as a measure of long term blood glucose levels.