• Common wisdom says diabetes is not only chronic, but incurable. • You’ve probably heard it said: You can’t beat diabetes. You can only manage it. • But is that true? Once you have diabetes, you have it forever? • Not so fast, say medical experts.
• Yes. • It may surprise most people, diabetics included, but type 2 diabetes remission is possible. • How? • Weight loss surgery is by far the most common cause of remission. • But there is another way. • With a healthy diet and a good dose of exercise, diabetics can reverse the disease and live a normal life.
• It comes down to your blood sugar levels. • If someone’s blood glucose levels consistently fall below the diabetic level without the use of medication, they are considered to be in remission. • Types of Remission • Partial Remission: Sub-diabetic blood glucose for at least one year. • Complete Remission: Normal blood glucose for more than one year. • Prolonged Remission: Normal blood glucose for more than five years.1
• Not very common at all. • Most people will not be able to shake off diabetes completely, no matter how hard they try. • But… • For a select few, major lifestyle changes can put the disease into remission. • By the Numbers • According to one study, less than two percent of people were able to achieve partial remission of diabetes. • Less than one percent experienced either prolonged or complete remission.2
• The Good News • Those who have recently developed insulin resistance and require little to no medication may be able to fight the disease.
• The Bad News • Those who have had the condition for years, or who have a severe case, may only be able to manage the symptoms. • Remission Factors • How long someone has had diabetes • The severity of the disease • Whether the body can still produce insulin • A person’s commitment to lifestyle changes
• New research offers hope for severe cases. • One study showed that even those who had suffered from diabetes for over six years were able to reverse the disease without medication.3 • Almost half of participants put their diabetes into remission after one year. • How did they do it? • They adhered to a strict liquid diet for three to five months. • They then maintained a rigorous, solid-food diet for the rest of the year.
• Step 1: Find a Primary Care Doctor • A good primary care physician can oversee your treatment plan and keep you accountable. • Step 2: Follow a Strict Diet • Beating or even managing diabetes takes commitment to healthy eating. • Step 3: Exercise • A solid workout routine can help you lower your blood sugar levels. • Step 4: Measure Your Progress • Always monitor your blood sugar levels and schedule regular checkups with your family doctor.
• Remission is not a sprint. It’s a marathon. • There’s no quick fix. Fighting diabetes takes time and hard work. And the threat of relapse always looms. • That’s why they call it “remission” rather than a “cure.” • Still, with the right attitude, a little persistence, and a good primary care doctor, diabetics can achieve some degree of long-term relief.
It is possible to conquer diabetes, and the team at Crystal Run Healthcare can help. Our first-class endocrinologists, nurse practitioners and educators provide comprehensive diabetes care to patients in the New York area. Armed with the latest research and state-of-the-art diagnostic tests, we’re able to help diabetics manage, control and in some cases even beat back the disease. Visit our site to find a diabetes specialist near you.
• http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/11/2133 • http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/37/12/3188 • http://abcnews.go.com/Health/rigorous-diet-put-typediabetes-remission-study-finds/story?id=51600933