Weight loss puts type 2 diabetes into remission for five years, finds research

Data from 85 participants of the original DiRECT intervention group revealed an average five-year weight loss of 6.1kg.
Of the 48/85 participants who were in remission at the start of the extension period, 11 (23%) were still in remission at five years, with an average five-year weight loss of 8.9kg.
Data, available from 82 participants of the original DiRECT control group, showed an average five-year weight loss of 4.6kg, with 3.4% in remission.
Overall, the intervention group saw greater improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and fewer needed medication, compared to the control group.
The number of “serious adverse events” (events resulting in hospital admission) in the intervention group was less than half that in the control group. The findings also support growing evidence that weight loss, and remission from type 2 diabetes, can prevent or delay the complications of diabetes.