Intensive Weight-Loss Intervention Linked With Increased Chance of Partial Remission from Diabetes

A study reported in the December 19 issue of JAMA 2012 revealed that overweight adults who participated in an intensive lifestyle intervention which included several counselling sessions and targets to reduce calorie intake and increase physical activity experienced greater likely hood of partial remission of type 2 Diabetes.

This reported study was carried out at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, by Edward W.Gregg Ph.D and his colleagues; they conducted this study to examine the association between an intensive lifestyle intervention and the occurrence of partial and complete remission of type 2 diabetes.

This study compared the results of the 4 year analysis of people with type 2 diabetes with a body mass index of equal or greater than 25 that were subjected to an intensive lifestyle intervention(ILI) to those type 2 diabetics that were subjected to diabetic support and education control(DSE). In all a total of 4,503 adults were studied.

The participants in the ILI group were subjected to weekly group and individual counselling for 6 months and then given 3 sessions of counselling per month throughout the second six months which was then followed up with monthly contacts twice in a month and regular refresher sessions over the next 2 to 4 years. Those participants in this group aimed to reduce their total daily calorie intake to 1,200 to 1,800 calories by reducing their fat intake and increasing their activity levels up to a minimum of 175 minutes per week.

The participants in the DSE group were subjected to 3 group sessions on diet, exercise and social support in a year.

At the end of the study the results revealed that those participants in the ILI group lost more weight than those in the DSE group; those in the ILI  group experienced higher levels of fitness than those in the DSE group, and those in the ILI group experienced more remission of type 2 diabetes than those in the DSE group.

Furthermore, extra analyses of the participants indicated that ILI participants were significantly more likely to experience any remission (partial or complete), with a prevalence of 11.5 percent during the first year, decreasing to 7.3 percent during year 4, compared with 2.0 percent in the DSE group at both time points. The participants that experienced significant loss of weight or increased fitness also had higher rates of remission (15 percent -- 21 percent)