Pre-diabetes can be reversed by losing weight – expert

KUALA LUMPUR: Reversing pre-diabetes is definitely not impossible, says Malaysian Endocrine and Metabolic Society (MEMS) president Prof Dr Chan Siew Pheng.

Speaking at the online launch of the 6th Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus themed “A United Front against Diabetes: Delivering Care in this Era and Beyond!” here yesterday, Dr Chan said that recent research showed that losing body weight (with diet and lifestyle) can prevent pre-diabetics from becoming diabetics.

She also said that people with recently diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) can also reverse their diabetes by losing 15 per cent their body weight.

“According to the findings of the 2019 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS2019), 23.6 per cent of Malaysian adults have pre-diabetes (i.e abnormal fasting plasma glucose). This translates to approximately five million (5,019,359) adults; these individuals have a high risk for future development of diabetes,

“However, the good news is that recent research has shown that losing 7 to 10 per cent of body weight (with diet and lifestyle), we can prevent these pre-diabetic people from becoming diabetic.”

“In addition, people with recently diagnosed T2DM (less than 3 years) can reverse their diabetes. This new CPG covers the recent trials that show that successful weight loss of 15 percent body weight can put diabetes in reverse gear,” she said in her welcome speech at the event.

The event was launched by Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah via the Zoom app.

In May, NHMS 2019 found that one in five Malaysian adults, or 18.3 per cent, has diabetes. The report also stated that an estimated 3.9 million Malaysians aged 18 and above are suffering from diabetes.

The National Heart Association of Malaysia registry (2016) found that diabetes was the second most common cause of admissions for heart attacks (45 per cent of all admissions to coronary care units).