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Type 2 diabetes does not have to be caused by obesity. It can be caused by too much body fat, even in people who are not overweight. Type 2 diabetes remission may occur after weight loss, also in people with a normal BMI. This is the result of research carried out at the University of Newcastle.
- Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common civilization diseases. Over 3 million people in Poland suffer from it
- Type 2 diabetes accounts for 85-90 percent. all cases of this disease
- Contrary to popular belief, it does not have to (although of course it can) result from obesity – the level of body fat is the key
- – If you do not fit into the pants you were in at the age of 21, then you are in the risk group – says diabetologist prof. Roy Taylor
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Weight loss is a way to reverse type 2 diabetes
A study, presented at last year’s meeting of the European Diabetes Research Association (EASD), showed that normal weight people with type 2 diabetes can also reverse the disease by shedding a few pounds.
Eight of the twelve study participants who had normal BMI had remission (withdrawal) of their diabetes after losing 10-15% of their diabetes. body weight. Fat levels in the liver and pancreas dropped significantly, and the activity of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas was restored.
“The finding clearly shows that weight loss can be beneficial in type 2 diabetes, even in people of normal weight,” said Professor Roy Taylor, director of the Newcastle University Magnetic Resonance Center, lead author of the study. In his opinion, each of us has a “personal fat threshold”“. This is the level of body fat that our body can cope with, and if we exceed it, we may develop type 2 diabetes, even if we still have a normal weight.
– Our previous research showed that weight loss by 10-15 percent. can trigger remission in people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese, says Taylor.
- Overweight and obesity – what are the causes?
The professor points out that doctors too often assume that type 2 diabetes in people who are not overweight may have a different cause. As a result, unlike overweight people, people of normal weight are not advised to lose weight before administering anti-diabetic drugs or insulin, and too often therapy begins with drugs.
– And we showed that if people with normal weight lose 10-15 percent. their weight, they have a very good chance of getting rid of diabetes – said the diabetologist.
The doctor recalled that one in ten out of 4,5 million people with type 2 diabetes in the UK has a normal weight at diagnosis.
Type 2 diabetes can be reversed
A study of diabetes remission conducted several years ago at the universities of Glasgow and Newcastle showed that an intensive weight loss program led by doctors can lead to remission of type 2 diabetes in overweight people.
The new results come from the Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes on Normalization of Energy Intake in the Non-obese (ReTUNE) study, which investigated whether weight loss could also reverse disease in people of normal weight.
- Obesity in children
Twelve men and women who had type 2 diabetes and normal weight (mean BMI 24,5) participated in a weight loss program in which they received 800 kcal per day for two weeks. They then received support in gaining new weight for four to six weeks. Ultimately, all study participants completed up to three rounds of the diet and weight loss cycle until they lost 10-15 percent. body weight.
Test subjects were thoroughly tested at the start of the program and after each diet and weight maintenance round. Their results were compared with those of the control group – people without diabetes matched for age, sex and BMI.
The weight of the respondents dropped on average by 8,2 kg, from 69 kg to 61,8 kg, i.e. a reduction of 11,9%. The body fat content dropped from 33,1 to 27,4 percent. For comparison, in the control group it was 25,4%. It was also shown that the average fat content in the liver fell from 4,4 to 1,4 percent, and the level of fat in the pancreas fell from 5,1 to 4,5 percent on average. Mean plasma triglyceride levels (a measure of the effectiveness of fat metabolism) dropped significantly from 1,6 mmol / L to 1 mmol / L
As a result, eight out of 12 participants (67%) had diabetes remission. The percentage was similar to that obtained in studies with overweight and obese participants.
Type 2 diabetes depends on fat, not obesity
– These results, although preliminary so far, very clearly show that diabetes is not caused by obesity, but by too much body weight for the body. This is because there is too much fat in the liver and pancreas, regardless of BMI – said prof. Taylor.
– In the liver, this excess fat prevents insulin from working normally. In the pancreas, it causes the beta cells to stop producing insulin, he explained.
‘We have already shown that a process called liver lipoprotein exports is key,’ added Dr Ahmad Al-Mrabeh, co-author.
- Lipidogram, lipid profile – what is it?
– Lipoproteins are substances made of protein and fat that export fat through the bloodstream. The excess fat is usually stored in the subcutaneous fat areas underneath our skin. However, when supplies become full or dysfunctional, excess fat enters the bloodstream before being stored in the liver and exported by lipoproteins to other tissues, explains Al-Mrabeh.
“We have shown that this process is the engine behind the accumulation of fat in the pancreas, which damages insulin-producing cells and causes type 2 diabetes,” adds the doctor.
Prof. Taylor illustrates how to find out if you are at risk for type 2 diabetes. – Your waist circumference should be the same as you were when you were 21 years old. If you can’t put on pants of the same size right now, you may have a lot of fat. From here comes your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, even if you are not overweight, she says.
Type 2 diabetes – how common is it?
Type 2 diabetes affects one in 11 adults. 425 million people in the world and 3 million in Poland suffer from it, and these numbers are constantly growing.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the pancreas cannot make enough insulin (a hormone that helps turn sugar in food into energy) or the insulin it produces does not work properly.
- There are two types of fat on the belly. How can I get rid of them?
Type 2 diabetes is also called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus or adulthood diabetes. Type 2 diabetes mellitus belongs to the group of metabolic diseases and is characterized by high blood glucose levels and insulin resistance and a relative insulin deficiency.
Diabetes of this type is the most common metabolic disease, therefore it is considered a disease of civilization. It is a chronic disease that usually affects adults in their 30s. Unfortunately, with the increase in the number of young people struggling with obesity, type 2 diabetes is increasingly developing in children and adolescents.
What is diabetes remission?
Diabetes remission in people with type 2 diabetes occurs when blood glucose is within the normal range (70–99 mg / dL fasting) and there is no need to take diabetes medications. The clinical definition of remission is that the level of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is less than 48mmol / mol (6,5%) in two studies conducted six months apart when not taking diabetes medications.
- Diabetic belly – leads to diabetes and other dangerous diseases. How to get rid of it
Type 2 diabetes is usually treated with medication and / or diet and exercise.
Research has shown that for anyone who is overweight, weight loss plays the biggest role in achieving remission of type 2 diabetes, and that it can be achieved through diet and lifestyle changes or surgery.
Have your liver checked at least once a year. The Liver Package will help you with this – it contains the most important diagnostic tests. You can buy it on Medonet Market. You can choose from two variants.
The latest discovery shows that weight loss is key to achieving remission also in people who are not overweight.
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- How much weight can you lose by walking?
- Why are you on a diet and not losing weight? Reasons for the lack of weight loss effects