Is Type 2 Diabetes Curable?

Common questions and comments among those with type 2 diabetes are “Can I stop taking my diabetes medicine? Do I still have diabetes?”¹ I feel very well and don’t have diabetes symptoms. When I test my blood glucose (sugar) at home, my results are in a normal range. I don’t think I have diabetes.” It seems that most of those who are diagnosed with diabetes are in denial that they have it.

Have you heard about the recent news of type 2 diabetes? It’s called remission in type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association ® (ADA), the Endocrine Society, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, and Diabetes UK, all jointly published a consensus article online in Diabetes Care—a top medical journal concerning diabetes, stating remission in type 2 diabetes is when blood glucose levels are in a normal, non-diabetes range for three months or more.²

Remission?

What does remission mean concerning type 2 diabetes? If the hemoglobin A1c is less than 6.5% and without diabetes medications for three or more months, remission is present.³ Lifestyle changes and weight management help to maintain the blood glucose in a non-diabetes range. Ann Peters, MD, defines type 2 diabetes remission as “a temporary recovery, so it does not mean a cure.”⁴

At this point, a review of a healthy lifestyle is in order. It is well known that a healthy lifestyle includes healthy eating consisting of fewer simple carbohydrates, decreased processed food, more vegetables, and 2-3 servings of fresh fruit each day. Also included in a healthy lifestyle is exercise;⁵ in fact, exercise sometimes makes it more likely that you might be able to stop your diabetes medications. For some, exercise sometimes is more effective than diabetes medications—however, a word of warning: never stop taking diabetes medications on your own. Always consult with your doctor before going off your diabetes medications.

It is doubtful that those with type 2 diabetes can achieve remission by following their usual unhealthy habits. Healthy living is not just for those with diabetes but for everyone. It helps improve or even prevent obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and other chronic diseases.

If you liked this, you might find this helpful: Warning Signs of Diabetes

Debbie Clausen writes from Southern California.

[1] Peters, MD, A. 2022. Lifestyle changes may lead to remission, but not a cure, in type 2 diabetes. Clinical Endocrinology News, Vol 17, No.2, pg 2.

[2] Diabetes Care at doiorg/10.2337/dci21-0034.

[3] Diabetes Care, 2021; 44(10):2438-44.

[4] Peters, MD, A. 2022. Lifestyle changes may lead to remission, but not a cure, in type 2 diabetes. Clinical Endocrinology News, Vol 17, No.2, pg 2.

[5] Peters, MD, A. 2022. Lifestyle changes may lead to remission, but not a cure, in type 2 diabetes. Clinical Endocrinology News, Vol 17, No.2, pg 2.

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