‘New treatment helped me beat diabetes’
We speak to one lady who managed to wave goodbye to her Type 2 diabetes as part of a new medical approach
When Isobel Murray was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2011, she was determined to try all she could to one day beat the condition that affects an estimated four million people in the UK. “My diagnosis came about from routine blood tests after I’d had a heart attack,” says Isobel (65). “Prior to the heart attack – which was genetic – I had no symptoms that made me think I may have diabetes. I’ve always eaten healthily and exercised so was shocked to learn I had the condition. “As I started taking diabetic medication I gained a lot of weight which made me uncomfortable and I began to get exhausted easily. I got upset about having to take the medication and I felt like my life was gradually slowing down.” That’s why when the call went round Isobel’s local area for people with Type 2 diabetes to take part in an innovative new medical trial, Isobel was one of the first to sign up. The trial, called DiRECT (Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial), involved a two-year weight-loss programme, where participants follow a lowcalorie diet – initially of 800 calories a day – made from specially-formulated meal-replacement soups and shakes. While every participant follows this initial liquid diet for a different period of time, for Isobel this lasted for 17 weeks. “The 17 weeks for me spanned Christmas and New Year and the birth of my first grandchild. While watching everyone else eating Christmas dinner was quite hard, my family were incredibly supportive. The shakes were actually quite filling and I was really surprised that I rarely felt hungry. There were a few occasions where I did crave things but I purposely didn’t do the food shopping or cook during that time so I wasn’t tempted.” As Isobel powered through the programme, her GP regularly checked her weight, height, waist measurement and did blood tests. From the start of the trial she was also able to stop taking her diabetes medication. “Mentally, this made me feel lots better and losing weight quickly made me feel good.” At the end of the 17 weeks, Isobel was able to move onto a balanced diet of solid foods, mainly eating homemade soups, salads and some meat and veg. She also made a point of
“Today, I don’t see myself as a diabetic anymore and I feel absolutely fabulous. I feel I have been given my life back’
walking 10,000 steps every day, either at the gym or in the countryside. Finally, after two years on the trial, Isobel had lost a total of 4½ stone and blood tests revealed she had successfully put her Type 2 diabetes into remission. “Today, I don’t see myself as a diabetic anymore and I feel absolutely fabulous,” she says. While Isobel still has to be careful with her diet – especially when it comes to sugar – she has managed to keep the weight off and couldn’t be happier with what the medical trial has given her. “I feel this has turned everything around and given me my life back.”
How does it work?
Dr Emily Burns, Head of Research Communications at Diabetes UK, who has funded the trial, say: “It’s thought that people with Type 2 diabetes hold more fat around their liver and pancreas – the pancreas being the organ that produces insulin. This is the hormone that controls the amount of sugar in our blood, and that is not working in people who have diabetes. “When you go on a low-calorie diet, you lose fat from those organs helping them work better, meaning the pancreas may start producing insulin on its own again. “A diet of just 800 calories a day encourages quite rapid weight loss as it’s this that seems to be closely linked to putting diabetes into remission. In fact, nine out of ten of the trial participants who managed to lose 15kg (around 2½ stone) through the low-calorie diet programme were able to put their diabetes into remission.” Remission means participants had blood glucose levels on a par with someone who has not been diagnosed with diabetes. Importantly, all participants of the DiRECT trial consumed specially formulated shakes and soups that were designed to contain all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients the body needs and remained under close medical supervision throughout the trial. The trial did not include anyone taking insulin for their diabetes or anyone with Type 1 diabetes. While these results could have game-changing implications for diabetics – and for the NHS – Diabetes UK is now funding further research into this low-calorie programme, to see if it could one day be offered as a treatment option for people with Type 2 diabetes nationally. “In the meanwhile, it’s really important people with Type 2 diabetes seek advice from their GP before dieting, especially if they’re taking any medication.”
For more on the trial and managing diabetes call 0345 123 2399 or visit www.diabetes.org.uk/direct