OpinionType 2 diabetes is not an inevitable life sentence. In 2020, the condition looks very different
Wednesday, 12th February 2020, 7:00 am
The idea that type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease has been ingrained for so long. But the research explained in my new book, Life Without Diabetes, shows this is not necessarily true. As this is a condition that costs 10 per cent of NHS expenditure, that is good news.
Return to normal health is possible for almost everyone in the first few years of type 2 diabetes. Some people can achieve this even after many years of diabetes. Our research in Newcastle has shown exactly what causes type 2 diabetes for the first time and has traced both the underlying processes of returning to normal and the gruesome processes of developing the disease.
The role the liver and pancreas play
i's opinion newsletter: talking points from today
We measured the critical items in the two important organs of type 2 diabetes - liver and pancreas. In liver, we measured the fat content and the response to insulin control of sugar production. In the pancreas we developed new techniques to measure the fat content and the production of insulin. We were amazed to see that the hypothesis we tested was exactly correct: in the liver, fat content and insulin response were normal within seven days (so blood glucose first thing in the morning dropped to normal); and in the pancreas there was a gradual fall in fat content over eight weeks which was mirrored by a return to near normal insulin production.
The nub of the matter is removing the damaging effects of excess fat delivered to the insulin producing cells of the pancreas. Excess fat builds up first in the liver. Then the liver supplies excess fat to all tissues of the body including the pancreas. Not everyone is susceptible to this fat induced damage to the pancreas, but for those unlucky enough to be so disposed, the major hormone insulin can no longer be produced rapidly enough.
And the solution? Weight loss of about 15kg sounds impossible, but by developing a humanly possible, effective method we have been show that this can be done in a matter of weeks by anyone with motivation to return to health.
The greater challenge is preventing weight regain in the face of the slings and arrows that are part of everyday life. This is not easy, but many people have demonstrated that by following simple changes to habits it can be done. There is no magic diet individuals suit different approaches but a long term way of living life to the full can be successful.
Type 2, obesity and BMI
It's widely believed type 2 diabetes is due to obesity.But a glance at the hard information shows that this is simply untrue. One in two people developing the disease have a body mass index (BMI) under 30 and are not obese. So if half are obese and half are not, maybe there are two different diseases? Not so, as the underlying mechanisms have been shown to be the same over the range of BMIs. In fact one in 10 people have a normal BMI at the time of diagnosis and in contrast around three quarters of people with BMI over 45 do not have type 2 diabetes.
The truth is that we are all individuals, and simple statistical categorisation by BMI is inappropriate. Those of us with a genetic set to live in a body of BMI 25 may well get type 2 diabetes if their weight rises to 28. And those who have normal metabolism with a BMI of 34 may get the disease if they put on weight to say, a BMI of 37. The reverse process is useful to consider, as it is now very clear that someone with a BMI of 37 can return to normal sugar control and normal blood fats with a BMI of 34. That is why the 15kg weight loss target is appropriate for most people: as everyone has a personal threshold above which they will develop type 2 diabetes. It is nothing to do with the fixed BMI concept of obesity.
In other words, we all have a personal fat threshold above which mischief will start happening. This has been rather obscured by the present popularity of population level information to drive beliefs about what is relevant for individuals. But there is a clear bottom line: if a person has true type 2 diabetes, then they have become too heavy for their body.
Eating sweet things and high blood sugar
It's also widely believed that eating sweet things is the cause of high blood sugar. When you wake in the morning, all the sugar in your blood has been made by you by your liver. No molecule of sugar in the blood will have come directly from what was eaten yesterday. In type 2 diabetes the normal restraint on overproduction of sugar by the liver is lost, because the liver becomes resistant to the action of insulin. In turn, that is because there is too much fat inside the liver preventing insulin working normally. When you eat you get a double whammy: all your carbs are turned into sugar during digestion, and this load is additional to the outpouring of sugar from your liver which continued throughout the 24 hours. Certainly eating a lot of sugar or carbs with type 2 diabetes will make the blood sugar even higher, but the basic problem is lack of normal functioning of the hormone insulin. Loss of fat from liver and pancreas restores this.
So type 2 diabetes is not all doom, gloom and an inevitable life sentence. In 2020, the condition looks very different.
Life Without Diabetes by Professor Roy Taylor is published by Short Books, 9.99
See the original post here:
Type 2 diabetes can be reversed even after years of having the condition - this is how - inews
- This 'itchy' symptom is an early sign of diabetes that people often miss; know more about it - The Times of India - February 7th, 2025
- Diabetes and obesity drugs fuel Eli Lilly profit in the final quarter of 2024 - ABC News - February 7th, 2025
- Incidence of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome by Occupation 10-Year follow-up of the Gutenberg Health Study - BMC Public Health - February 7th, 2025
- Abbotts Above the Bias Film Reveals Misconceptions Can Impact Diabetes Care - MultiVu - February 7th, 2025
- Q&A: Diabetes care for the aging population in the digital age - Medical Xpress - February 7th, 2025
- The relationship between oxLDL, sLOX-1, PCSK9 and carotid intima-media thickness in patients with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- Nanoparticle Therapy has Potential to Reprogram the Immune System in Type 1 Diabetes - Managed Healthcare Executive - February 7th, 2025
- Muscle quality index is correlated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional population-based study - BMC Public Health - February 7th, 2025
- Assessing type-2 diabetes risk based on the Indian diabetes risk score among adults aged 45 and above in India - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- Single-cell atlas of human pancreatic islet and acinar endothelial cells in health and diabetes - Nature.com - February 7th, 2025
- Sugary Drinks Fuel Millions of Diabetes and CVD Cases - Medscape - February 7th, 2025
- 1 in 5 UK adults estimated to have diabetes in new record high - Euronews - February 7th, 2025
- New, increasingly widely used diabetes medication may have additional health benefits for older adults - Medical Xpress - February 7th, 2025
- Patients using diabetes apps can miss critical alerts. Heres how to make sure youre getting them - Canon City Daily Record - February 7th, 2025
- Diabetes and obesity drugs fuel Eli Lilly profit in the final quarter of 2024 - News-Press Now - February 7th, 2025
- Does wearing a continuous glucose monitor help people without diabetes? We asked experts. - Popular Science - February 7th, 2025
- What is prediabetes and what can you do to stop it? - The Independent - February 7th, 2025
- Diabetes symptoms: 6 high blood sugar warning signs that show on hand and feet - India.com - February 7th, 2025
- The #1 Habit for Better Heart Health If You Have Diabetes, According to Experts - EatingWell - February 7th, 2025
- 'Fix Broken Food System!' Government Urged as Study Says 1 in 5 Brits Affected by Diabetes - Men's Health UK - February 7th, 2025
- World Diabetes Day 2024 - World Health Organization (WHO) - December 6th, 2024
- The WHO Global Diabetes Compact - December 6th, 2024
- Diabetes - World Health Organization (WHO) - December 6th, 2024
- Kumamoto University researchers discover groundbreaking antidiabetic compound - EurekAlert - December 6th, 2024
- Med's David Kaelber comments on GLP-1 agonists, which provide benefits like managing diabetes and weight loss - The Daily | Case Western Reserve... - December 6th, 2024
- Jordan Chiles Is On a Mission To Raise Awareness for Early Type 1 Diabetes Screening - Verywell Health - December 6th, 2024
- There's A Tasty Food That May Reduce Your Risk Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes, Study Shows - HuffPost - December 6th, 2024
- Empagliflozin Linked to Lower Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy Progression - Medpage Today - December 6th, 2024
- GLP-1 Medications Associated with Reduced Likelihood of Dementia Compared to Other Diabetic Meds - Epic Research - December 6th, 2024
- Sanders Slams Greed That Led to Surge in Obesity, Diabetes in US - The Well News - December 6th, 2024
- Eli Lilly to Expand Facility to Meet Demand for Diabetes, Obesity Treatments - The Wall Street Journal - December 6th, 2024
- New Study Teases Out Chocolate and Diabetes Connection - Medpage Today - December 6th, 2024
- Diabetes tool turned wellness trend: Is a glucose monitor right for you? - KARE11.com - December 6th, 2024
- Reporter doesnt have diabetes but wore a glucose monitor anyway. Here's what she learned - CNN - December 6th, 2024
- Lilly's Zepbound (tirzepatide) superior to Wegovy (semaglutide) in head-to-head trial showing an average weight loss of 20.2% vs. 13.7% - Investors |... - December 6th, 2024
- I dont have diabetes, but I wore a glucose monitor for six weeks. Heres what I learned about food (and anxiety) - CNN - December 6th, 2024
- Higher niacin levels linked to lower cardiovascular risk, but not in those with diabetes - Healio - December 6th, 2024
- This Type Of Chocolate Could Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk By 21% - NDTV - December 6th, 2024
- New Study Links Safer BPA Alternatives to Obesity, Diabetes, and Hormone Disruption - SciTechDaily - December 6th, 2024
- Turns Out Dark Chocolate Has a Health Benefit That's Shockingly GreatAnd Totally Unexpected - Well+Good - December 6th, 2024
- Global report on diabetes - World Health Organization (WHO) - October 22nd, 2024
- Ultra-processed food may be particularly harmful for people with diabetes, scientists warn - The Independent - October 22nd, 2024
- New drugs may be able to treat multiple problems beyond diabetes - The Straits Times - October 22nd, 2024
- Best Fruits for Diabetes (and What To Avoid) - Health Essentials - October 22nd, 2024
- Cutting Sugar May Reduce Your Diabetes, Stroke, and Depression Risk - Healthline - October 22nd, 2024
- Can Diabetes Care Teams Improve Patient Outcomes and Value? - Medscape - October 22nd, 2024
- Oral Semaglutide Reduces MACE Risk in People With Type 2 Diabetes and CVD - MD Magazine - October 22nd, 2024
- High expression of CNOT6L contributes to the negative development of type 2 diabetes - Nature.com - October 22nd, 2024
- Recent Advances and Therapeutic Benefits of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Agonists in the Management of Type 2 Diabetes and Associated Metabolic... - October 22nd, 2024
- Dental teams could detect undiagnosed diabetes in more than one million people with new care pathway - Nature.com - October 22nd, 2024
- Groundbreaking Innovations in Diabetes Care: Highlights from the 2024 Diabetes Technology Meeting - Beyond Type 1 - October 22nd, 2024
- COVID-19 linked to type 2 diabetes onset in children - Medical Xpress - October 22nd, 2024
- The effect of adding pancreatin to standard otilinium bromide and simethicone treatment in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with irritable bowel... - October 22nd, 2024
- Does microdosing Ozempic work? What experts are saying about the diabetes drug also used for weight loss - Medical Xpress - October 22nd, 2024
- The Link between GLP-1 Drugs and Diabetic Retinopathy Is Not So Clear | AAO 2024 - Managed Healthcare Executive - October 22nd, 2024
- The overexpression of human amylin in pancreatic cells facilitate the appearance of amylin aggregates in the kidney contributing to diabetic... - October 22nd, 2024
- RNAO releases updated guidelines for diabetic foot ulcer care - Benefits and Pensions Monitor - October 22nd, 2024
- COVID-19 raises the risk of type 2 diabetes in children, study reveals - News-Medical.Net - October 22nd, 2024
- Semaglutide: What impact does it really have on heart health? - Medical News Today - October 22nd, 2024
- Glucose monitors for diabetes have finally been funded but a chronic workforce shortage will limit the benefits - The Conversation - October 22nd, 2024
- Early vs Late Fast Window: Is One More Effective? - Medscape - September 13th, 2024
- Breakthrough T1D Walk to Cure Type 1 Diabetes - KATU - September 13th, 2024
- Foods That May Increase Kids' Risk of Type 1 Diabetes Revealed - Newsweek - September 13th, 2024
- Beds and Herts patients to be re-tested in diabetes results error - BBC.com - September 13th, 2024
- This common habit increases your diabetes risk by 50%; Heres how to fix it - The Economic Times - September 13th, 2024
- Elevated risk of pre-diabetes and diabetes in people with past history of COVID-19 in northeastern Nigeria - BMC Public Health - September 13th, 2024
- Study links bananas, oats and yoghurt to greater diabetes risk in susceptible children - The Guardian - September 13th, 2024
- Could the Norton research teams studying diabetes and Alzheimer's come up with a cure? - Courier Journal - September 13th, 2024
- Weight loss, better beta-cell function tied to long-term glycemic control with tirzepatide - Healio - September 13th, 2024
- Study finds weekly insulin injections as effective for diabetes as daily shots - UPI News - September 13th, 2024
- Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus: Are we losing sight of overall health? Heres what the science says - The Conversation - September 13th, 2024
- With once-a-week dosing, insulin efsitora alfa delivers similar A1C reduction compared to daily insulin in adults with type 1 diabetes - PR Newswire - September 13th, 2024
- Dining with Diabetes workshops offered - The Courier-Express - September 13th, 2024
- Researchers uncover connection between two common diabetes drugs with implications for foot ulcer healing - News-Medical.Net - September 13th, 2024
- The menopause can increase your likelihood of developing heart disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension but exercise can help lower risk - The... - September 13th, 2024
- Artificial pancreas shows promise in people with type 1 diabetes on kidney dialysis - MSN - September 13th, 2024
- How an Indian executive battled flesh-eating disease and diabetes, and won - South China Morning Post - September 13th, 2024
- India brings early Diabetic Retinopathy detection to the last mile with Artificial Intelligence - PR Newswire - September 13th, 2024
- Why this diabetes drug may be the answer to NASA search for radiation protection - Texas Public Radio - September 13th, 2024
- The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the American Diabetes Association Promote Nutrition Security and its Role in Preventing and Managing... - September 13th, 2024