Low-Calorie Diet and Exercise May Help Reverse Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes

The study looked at people who got type 2 diabetes before turning 45. More than half of the people in the study who followed a special diet and exercise plan saw their diabetes improve or disappear after about six months.

This is important because when young people get diabetes, it can get worse faster and cause health problems later on. What Did the Study Find? The exercise included both cardio (like walking or running) and strength training. During the first 12 weeks, they had two supervised exercise sessions and one independent session each week.

After that, they continued exercising on their own and kept eating healthily to stay their weight. After 24 weeks, 54 out of 100 people in the diet-and-exercise group saw their diabetes go away. Only 4 out of 100 people who got regular care saw the same improvement. To be considered “remission,” a person had to have a blood test called HbA1c below 6.5% and not need diabetes medicine for at least three months.

The people in the diet-and-exercise group also lost a lot of weight—about 18 pounds on average—while the other group only lost about 2.5 pounds. Most of their weight loss was fat, and they kept their muscles, which is good when losing weight.

Why Does It Matter When Diabetes Starts Young? Getting diabetes at a young age can mean longer time with high blood sugar and more chances for health problems like eye or kidney issues, nerve damage, or heart problems.

But the researchers said these results came from a special group of people following a careful plan, and it doesn’t mean everyone with diabetes can stop their medicine or get better just by eating less and exercising.