Type 2 diabetes can be reversed through lifestyle change: WCM-Q study
A research study led by clinical researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine – Qatar (WCM-Q) has shown for the first time that type 2 diabetes can be reversed in those from the Middle East and North Africa regions.
Internationally competitive work is the first intensive lifestyle intervention study in the Middle East and North Africa region and the first clinical trial in primary care in Qatar. The clinical trial showed significant weight loss and reversal of type 2 diabetes in more than 60 percent of intervention participants.
Led by Dr. Shahrad Taheri, professor of medicine at WCMQ, and consultant endocrinologist at Hamad Medical Corporation and Qatar Metabolic Institute, the research team conducted a randomised control study comparing the effects of best medical care on diabetes with intensive lifestyle intervention therapy, including dietary change, physical activity, and behavioural change.
The participants in the study were younger adults, all of whom had been diagnosed with diabetes in the previous three years. They were all between 18 and 50 years of age and had a body mass index ( BMI) of 27 kg / m2 or more. Participants were randomly placed in a control group or an intensive intervention group. Individuals in the intervention group underwent a total dietary replacement phase, during which participants were given low-energy meal replacement products followed by a gradual re-introduction of food in combination with physical activity support. This was coupled with a weight loss maintenance phase involving structured lifestyle support. The participants in the control group received the best currently available diabetes care based on clinical guidance.
The results were very significant, with participants in the intervention group losing about 12 kg on average after 12 months, compared to about 4 kg in the control group. Most importantly, almost two-thirds (61 per cent) of participants in the intervention group saw their diabetes remission, which means that their blood sugars were no longer in the diabetes range. Finally, more than one third of the participants in the intervention group saw their blood sugar levels return to normal.
The participants in the study were younger adults, all of whom had been diagnosed with diabetes in the previous three years
Research is of such importance for its health impact that it has been published in The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology Medical Journal, one of the world’s leading medical journals. This is the highest health impact publication in which a clinical research study conducted in Qatar has been published.
Dr. Taheri said: “This study was highly significant, proving for the first time the benefits of an intensive lifestyle intervention for patients with diabetes originating from 13 different countries in the Middle East and North Africa region.
“It is also the first time that a health study originating in and conducted in Qatar, due to its high clinical value, has featured in such a prestigious publication as The Lancet. Our study shows that it is possible to reverse diabetes in young people with type 2 diabetes. Now we can take this directly to the clinic in Qatar and make a difference to people’s lives.”
The study ‘Effect of Intensive Lifestyle Intervention on Bodyweight and Glycaemia in Early Type 2 Diabetes (DIADEM-I): an open-label, parallel, randomized controlled trial’ was funded by the Qatar National Research Fund (QNRFNPRP 8-912-3-192), a member of the Qatar Foundation.
Dr. Abdul Sattar al Taie, Executive Director of Qatar National Research Fund said: “Funding research which promotes the healthcare of the citizens of Qatar is one of the cornerstones of our mission at Qatar National Research Fund. Type 2 diabetes and its spread in the Middle East is a matter of high concern which requires research that focus on the local populations and conditions.”
“I am therefore very pleased to learn that QNRF funding has resulted in such a significant research project with positive implications for the people of Qatar and all those affected by type 2 diabetes. Such research projects focusing on local populations will help to develop effective and specialized treatments to help people with type 2 diabetes in Qatar and the region.
Dr. Javaid Sheikh, dean of WCM-Q, also praised the research.
Dr. Sheik said, “Since diabetes is so prevalent among the population of the Middle East, this study has the potential to help tens of thousands of people improve their quality of life and their life expectancy.
“Not only that, but by revolutionizing the way type 2 diabetes is treated in Qatar, we could see more people reverse diabetes, removing the need for lifelong medical care and so improving health budgets.