Stem cell therapy could reverse Type 2 diabetes for some, study finds

From upi.com/Health_News

June 3 (UPI) -- Stem cell therapy using cells produced from a patient's own bone marrow may reduce reliance on insulin or other medications for Type 2 diabetes treatment, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine.

A clinical trial conducted at Vinmec Research Institute of Stem Cell and Gene Technology in Hanoi found that stem cell treatment allowed some patients to reduce or eliminate their need for other medications for at least some period of time, researchers said.

Bone marrow stem cells are able to turn into any cell type and as such have been widely explored for disease treatment, including research in recent years to evaluate their potential against diabetes.

Researchers have also investigated the use of other stem cells, such as those harvested from umbilical cords, for treatment against diabetes. "The procedure is safe and opens the way for other clinical trials exploring the potential benefits of this treatment in non-obese patients who have had the disorder less than 10 years," co-study lead author Liem Nguyen, research director at Vinmec, said in a press release.

Researchers added, however, that the benefit was found only in those who were not overweight and have not had the disease for more than a decade -- the benefit was only measured on a short term basis.

The trial focused on 30 adults whose blood glucose levels were continuously tracked over a one-year period. At the end of the trial period, those meeting the profile experienced at least short-term relief from Type 2 diabetes without the use of insulin, researchers said.

"Our patients tolerated the procedure well and showed short-term reductions in their blood glucose levels after the treatment," Nguyen said.

"We also found that some of them were able to temporarily reduce the dosage of their diabetes medications," Nguyen said.

Roughly 420 million people globally have Type 2 diabetes, according to the World Health Organization.

https://www.upi.com/Health_News/2021/06/03/type-2-diabetes-Vinmec-Research-Institute-Vietnam/4991622733760/

Eating fresh fruit lowers risk of type 2 diabetes, study claims

From foxnews.com

The benefits were not seen in those who drank fruit juice

Slipping two servings of fresh fruit into your daily diet can lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by over one-third, a new study suggests. But, in this study, not all fruit is created equal as the benefits of eating whole fruit were not seen for those who drank fruit juice. 

The study, conducted by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and published in the Journal of Clinical and Endocrinology and Metabolism, found that people who ate at least two servings of fruit per day had higher measures of insulin sensitivity than those who ate less than half of a serving, according to a news release posted on EurekAlert.org. 

In fact, among the data analysed from 7,675 Australians who had partaken in the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute’s AusDiab Study which assessed fruit and fruit juice intake and the prevalence of diabetes after five years, those who ate at least two servings of fruit had a 36% less chance of developing the most common form of diabetes. 

Type 2 diabetes means that the body doesn’t use insulin properly, and while some can control their blood sugar levels with healthy eating and exercise, others may require medication or insulin to manage the condition, according to Diabetes.org. Some may be diagnosed with prediabetes before they develop type 2 diabetes, but early treatment and intervention could help return blood sugar levels to the normal range. Losing 7% of body weight and exercising moderately 30 minutes a day for five days a week has previously been shown to reduce your risk for type 2 diabetes by 58%, according to Diabetes.org. 

Among the foods the American Diabetes Association recommends for keeping a healthy diet are fruits and vegetables, in addition to lean meats and plant-based sources of protein, less added sugar and less processed foods. 

The organization explained that while fruit counts as a carbohydrate food, they are "loaded with vitamins, minerals and fibre just like vegetables," and they can "help you satisfy your sweet tooth without the added sugar." 

Dr. Nicola Bondonno, the study’s lead author, said an added benefit may impact insulin activity in the body. 

"As well as being high in vitamins and minerals, fruits are a great source of phytochemicals which may increase insulin sensitivity, and fibre which helps regulate the release of sugar into the blood and also helps people feel fuller longer," Bondonno said. "Furthermore, most fruits have a low glycaemic index, which means the fruit’s sugar is digested and absorbed into the body more slowly." 

https://www.foxnews.com/health/fresh-fruit-lowers-risk-type-2-diabetes-study-claims

A Diabetic’s Tips For Travelling With Type 2 Diabetes

From travelawaits.com

By Cindy Ladage

Everyone’s diabetic journey is different, so there is no recipe for travelling with diabetes that fits one and all. However, there are some tips that I have found that work for me while traveling. These tips may work for other diabetics and their families. I am not a medical expert, just a diabetic sharing my experiences. Keep in mind that these tips are directed toward Type 2 diabetics.

Diabetes is a common ailment in the United States. Those of us suffering from Type 2 diabetes find that our bodies don’t regulate and use sugar/glucose properly. Glucose is what fuels the body. When you have Type 2 diabetes, there is too much sugar circulating in the bloodstream; thus, we must watch the amount of sugar we consume.

Watching what you eat while traveling can be challenging at any time, but when you have diabetes, and there are so many wonderful foods out there calling your name, it can be doubly so! Dieters out there can also know the feat of running through the travel food maze. The key to enjoying travel as a diabetic, and avoiding the pitfalls of the sugary temptations, is planning!

Food is just one small piece of the diabetic puzzle while traveling. Below are some of the tips that I have found to keep me on track when on a trip.

1. Share Where You Are Going With Others

Wanting to get away from it all and just be on your own? You do not want anyone calling you or bothering you. I get that. However, as a diabetic (or really for any traveller heading out), just in case something happens, it is imperative that at least one person knows how to reach you. 

Things happen on trips. There are accidents, you can get sick, and even weather events can take place that are out of your control. Then there are those events that don’t have to do with you, like emergencies that happen back home when loved ones need to reach you. It is especially important that someone knows where you are during solo travel. Just in case.

Keep your doctor’s phone number and your insurance card with you. Also, make sure to write down everyone’s numbers just in case you lose your phone, because we don’t memorize them like we used to!

Cindy Ladage

2. Wear An ID Showing Your Diabetic Condition

Wear a medical identification bracelet or necklace. Diabetes is listed as one of the conditions that physicians and healthcare organizations suggest wearing an ID for. While I don’t do this at home on a regular basis, I do try to when I travel.

Why? I do this because if something happens, medical personnel will know what to do. On the American Medical ID website, they state that “95 percent of emergency responders check for medical identification around the wrist/or neck.”

If you are not conscious or able to tell an emergency responder your medical history, the medical bracelet or necklace tells them everything they need in one glance. A quote from the Mayo Clinic says it all: “Medical bracelets are an excellent way to expedite treatment and avoid misdiagnosis.”

One chilling misdiagnosis that they share on the American Medical ID website is as follows: “A drop in your blood sugar can make you feel confused, distressed, and even make you pass out. Unfortunately, these same side-effects are similar to alcohol or drug intoxication.”

That is a diagnosis I do not want to be tagged with, especially in a foreign country.

Again, this is especially important when traveling alone. Even when traveling in a group or with your spouse, you are not always together, and things can happen while apart.

Cindy Ladage

3. Carry Medicine With You

Make sure you have your medicine with you and that it is easily accessible. Also, it is important to bring the monitor and test strips (or whatever device you use) to test your blood sugar in case of a sugar drop or increase. At times, I have felt bad and not known what to attribute it to. When I stopped, thought about it, and tested my blood sugar level, sometimes I have found that my sugar level was low. Then the problem was easily solved by eating something.

Cindy Ladage

Carrying supplies like test strips and insulin might, as Alexandra Mahoney points out in this article, “raise some eyebrows when trying to pass through airport security.” You can save yourself time by traveling with a doctor’s note that explains why you need to have these supplies with you.

4. Bring Healthy Snacks

Whether traveling by air, train, car, bus, or in a group trip, you never know for sure if you will find healthy snacks or if there will be a convenient place for healthy food. Rather than take a chance of searching in vain for something that is not filled with sugar, pack snacks to take along. We often go to agricultural events that are literally in the middle of a field, and there are not always vendors available; if there are, they don’t always have the kind of food that I should eat. Rather than eat what I shouldn’t, I tend to pack nuts or sliced apples (and packages of peanut butter to dip the apples in). I also am a fan of peanut butter and cheese crackers; the choices are endless! 

5. Download A Food App

Dining out is a wonderful part of travel. It is a chance to try new foods and experience different cuisines that are not in the normal everyday lineup. This is fine, but it is important to have an idea of what you are eating. I remember eating a delicious sub sandwich only to find that I had just consumed 900 calories of my usual approximately 1200 calories per day in one quick sitting. By checking a food app, like My Fitness Pal, which is free and easy to use, I could have easily prevented that or eaten only half and not destroyed my carb count for the day.

6. Plan Time To Exercise During Your Trip

Exercise! With the internet and a smartphone, this is as easy as any exercise video in your room and getting up a few minutes early. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (a brisk walk or cycling, for instance). 

Even better than exercising in the room is to incorporate fun activities during your trip, like biking, hiking, or walking when there is time. It is amazing what you’ll see when walking or biking that goes unnoticed when in a vehicle. During the first ten minutes of exercise, you are burning off sugar, so it is a great way to decrease sugar in the bloodstream. For me, exercise is essential to control my AIC, so this is a must-do.

7. Bring Comfortable Shoes!

Diabetic feet require good shoes, and when you incorporate exercise, in your trip you will want comfortable shoes for that — and the rest of the trip as well. Make sure to check your feet occasionally. Diabetics don’t heal as well as nondiabetics, so it is important to ensure that blisters and sores do not become infected.

8. Stay Hydrated And Make Needed Bathroom Stops

Be hydrated.  Keep water with you when possible, and drink plenty of it.

9. Harness The Power Of “No, Thank You, I’m Diabetic”

It can be a bit of a quandary when traveling and a host has gone to considerable work to prepare a dessert. It looks marvellous, and you want it but know it will wreck your sugar intake for the day or maybe days. Over time, I have learned that for me it is better to just say, “I am sorry, I am diabetic. It looks lovely, and how I wish I could.”

Because, of course, I really wish I could, especially when chocolate is involved!

10. Invest In Travel Insurance

Travel insurance is a good idea for big trips, especially when you are diabetic and health is a bit more questionable. When planning a trip, this allows you to cancel if you need to. Things happen — medical emergencies occur, medicine gets lost, and so on. Insurance is a stress reliever!

These are just a few non-medical tips to stay healthy when traveling with diabetes!

https://www.travelawaits.com/2666726/diabetics-tips-for-traveling-with-diabetes/

How to Start a Keto Diet Plan

By Dan Licamara

The keto diet plan is a high-intake, high-fibre, sufficient-potassium diet which in medicinal circles is often used primarily to treat childhood epilepsy in very young children. The keto diet forces your body to use up fat instead of glucose for energy. This results in reduced hunger and allows you to stick to a reasonable diet even when you are highly hungry. It can be practiced by anyone, even if you have had a heart or kidney disease or diabetes in the past.

The keto diet plan is not designed for long-term weight control, as it puts a lot of emphasis on fats. The ketogenic diet pyramid is based around eating a wide variety of different carbohydrates and proteins. A lot of people don't like the idea of eliminating carbohydrates from their diet and would rather focus on proteins, so the use of the MOST PROBABLY IMPORTANT carbohydrates are typically ignored in the process. By eliminating certain carbohydrates you can achieve ketosis easily, however this can be quite hard at first as your body gets accustomed to the absence of the carbohydrates you were once consuming.

Many experts agree that the best way to get started with the keto diet plan is to eat vegetables and lean meats. Eating more protein than vegetables (such as lean meats and chicken) helps boost your metabolism to burn fat faster after you stop consuming carbohydrates, which also helps you stick to your diet. Nuts and avocados are good veggies to eat as well because they are rich in mono unsaturated fats that are essential to maintain good health and are not burned off by the liver.

The benefits of eating more protein include muscle building, better digestion, and increased stamina. Nuts and avocados also provide protein, which provides many essential amino acids for the body, and contain medium chain triglycerides (MCT), which are easily metabolized by the liver, allowing them to enter the bloodstream immediately. The benefits of eating more carbs are the ability to control blood sugar, which can also help people lose weight. However, these carbohydrates should only be eaten in small amounts and should only be a supplement to your diet. Eating too many carbs can cause constipation, bloating, diarrhoea, and even insomnia. If you have had problems with these symptoms before starting the keto diet plan, then you may want to limit your intake of carbs.

As you learn more about how to start a keto diet plan, you will find the best sources of protein are cheese, eggs, and chicken. Eggs are the most popular source of protein and can be found almost anywhere. Chicken is another highly favoured food and can also be found almost anywhere. Both of these meats are lean cuts of meat, which makes them great sources of protein. The most important thing is to make sure that you get enough protein from your diet, as this will help your muscles to grow and create new tissue.

Now that you know how to start a keto diet plan, the next step is to get your food list together. You will need a detailed list of what you will be eating for each day. Include any vitamins and supplements that you may need to take, as well as any other special medications or instructions that your doctor has given you. It is a good idea to keep a food diary so that you can keep track of what you are eating each day. This way you can make sure that you are not getting any unwanted snacks and that you are eating real food.

https://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Start-a-Keto-Diet-Plan&id=10467157

People who eat a healthy diet including whole fruits may be less likely to develop type 2 diabetes

From sciencedaily.com

Research links fruit but not fruit juice to lower type 2 diabetes risk

A new study finds people who consume two servings of fruit per day have 36 percent lower odds of developing type 2 diabetes than those who consume less than half a serving. The research was published in the Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

---

Diabetes is a disease where people have too much sugar in their bloodstream, and it is a huge public health burden. Approximately 463 million adults worldwide were living with diabetes in 2019, and by 2045 this number is expected to rise to 700 million. An estimated 374 million people are at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. A healthy diet and lifestyle can play a major role in lowering a person's diabetes risk.

"We found people who consumed around 2 servings of fruit per day had a 36 percent lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the next five years than those who consumed less than half a serving of fruit per day," said study author Nicola Bondonno, Ph.D., of Edith Cowan University's Institute for Nutrition Research in Perth, Australia. "We did not see the same patterns for fruit juice. These findings indicate that a healthy diet and lifestyle which includes the consumption of whole fruits is a great strategy to lower your diabetes risk."

The researchers studied data from 7,675 participants from the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute's Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle Study who provided information on their fruit and fruit juice intake through a food frequency questionnaire. They found participants who ate more whole fruits had 36 percent lower odds of having diabetes at five years. The researchers found an association between fruit intake and markers of insulin sensitivity, meaning that people who consumed more fruit had to produce less insulin to lower their blood glucose levels.

"This is important because high levels of circulating insulin (hyperinsulinemia) can damage blood vessels and are related not only to diabetes, but also to high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease," Bondonno said.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210602091404.htm

Type 2 Diabetes and Sleep: What’s the Connection?

From everydayhealth.com

You may have heard that diabetes can interfere with sleep (and vice versa). Find out how they’re connected and what you can do to get better rest

If you have type 2 diabetes, you probably pay attention to what you eat and try to stay physically active. But there is another important component of managing your condition that you may not always prioritize: sleep.

You may have heard that making sure you get good sleep is an important part of staying healthy, particularly if you have type 2 diabetes. But what exactly is the connection between sleep and diabetes, and why should it be considered a crucial pillar in managing your condition? Here’s what you need to know.

Sleep and Insulin Resistance

“Sleep is a time for your body to rest and repair, but a lot of things happen as you move through the sleep stages throughout the night,” says Josie Bidwell, DNP, an associate professor at The University of Mississippi School of Medicine in Jackson. During sleep, says Bidwell, your brain stores memories, your muscles are repaired, your heart rate goes down, and your blood pressure falls. Lower resting heart rate and blood pressure are particularly important if you have type 2 diabetes, since having the condition makes you twice as likely to be diagnosed with heart disease, per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Sleep is also essential for hormone regulation, and insulin is a hormone. “In general, poor sleep plays a role in insulin resistance,” says Bidwell, which occurs when your body has difficulty using insulin to move glucose from your blood into cells. This can result in high blood sugar. “If you are struggling to gain control of your blood glucose, looking at your sleep and doing what you can to get the recommended 7-plus hours can be a game changer,” Bidwell says.

Seven hours is actually a sweet spot for sleep. In a study on adults who had prediabetes or were recently diagnosed with — but untreated for — type 2 diabetes, sleeping fewer than five hours or longer than eight hours per night was associated with a higher A1C level compared with those who got a more moderate amount of sleep, according to a study published in May 2019 in the journal Diabetes Care. Sleeping fewer than six hours per night was also associated with a higher BMI, which increases the risk for type 2 diabetes and makes blood sugar levels harder to control. (Losing just a few pounds can improve blood sugar control and reduce the need for medication, according to the American Diabetes Association [ADA].)

While it’s not clearly understood why sleeping longer may be detrimental to your health, there are many potential hormonal changes that occur with sleep loss. “There is a biochemical cascade driven by inflammatory substances, such as cytokines, after sleep loss that can set someone up for insulin resistance,” notes Bidwell. What’s more, as the Diabetes Care study points out, sleep deprivation activates your sympathetic nervous system, responsible for your fight-or-flight stress response, which can also decrease insulin sensitivity. This is an area of ongoing research.

How Uncontrolled Blood Sugar Can Disrupt Sleep

Along with physiological changes, sleep deprivation also prompts people to consume more calories and decreases their ability to make nutritious choices and maintain a healthy lifestyle. This can lead to increased risk for diabetes and obesity, which itself is a risk factor for diabetes, suggests a paper published in November 2016 in the journal Current Diabetes Reports.

And the relationship between sleep and blood sugar levels goes the other way, too. “When blood sugar runs higher [than normal], you urinate more often,” says Bidwell. In other words, extra blood sugar goes into the urine and pulls water from your tissues, so you pee more, notes Mayo Clinic. You may find that you’re waking up multiple times per night to go to the bathroom, which can disrupt sleep. It’s also important to point out that if your blood sugar dips too low (below 70 mg/dL) in your sleep — a condition called nocturnal hypoglycaemia — you may also experience restless sleep, have nightmares, and sweat in your sleep, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

In addition, patients with diabetes are up to three times more likely to have depression compared with the general public, but just one-quarter to one-half get help, according to the CDC. That’s significant, because sleep problems and depression go hand in hand, suggests research published in February 2019 in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. Bottom line: Having depression puts you at increased risk for insomnia, and, conversely, insomnia may elevate your risk of depression.

Taken altogether, it’s hardly a surprise that in a study of more than 7,000 middle-aged and older adults with diabetes, one-quarter reported having a sleep disorder. About 77 percent said that they had sleep problems, such as difficulty falling asleep, sleep apnoea, or daytime sleepiness, concluded research published in October–December 2016 in the journal Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews.

How Sleep Impacts a Healthy Diet and Weight Loss

There are two main hunger hormones: leptin, which turns off your appetite, and ghrelin, which stimulates hunger. “When you don’t sleep well, leptin goes down and ghrelin goes up,” says Bidwell. The result is that you’re less satisfied with the food you’re eating but also hungrier, particularly for sugary foods and other simple carbohydrates that can be easy sources of quick energy for the body and brain. “People say, ‘I have all these cravings and I have no willpower,’” she notes. “It’s rarely ever just about willpower; there are other factors, like lack of sleep, setting people up for not being as successful as they could be.”

It’s not just what you eat but how much. In a meta-analysis of 11 studies, people who were sleep deprived consumed 385 extra calories per day compared with a control group, according to research published in November 2016 in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Not only are you up against that hunger hormone driving you to eat more, but there are simply more hours when you are awake and eating. “Eating extra calories will yield a higher blood sugar, which can worsen insulin resistance,” says Chauntae Reynolds, PharmD, CDCES, a spokesperson for the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists who’s based in Indianapolis.

How to Improve Your Sleep if You Have Diabetes

The healthy sleep guidelines that apply to everyone are especially important to follow if you have diabetes, says Reynolds. Disturbed sleep and waking up often in the middle of the night are associated with worsening levels of diabetes self-care, found a study published in September 2018 in the journal Acta Diabetologica. (Self-care in diabetes includes the routines that you regularly perform to manage the condition.) And a study published in July 2020 in the journal Diabetologia found that sleeping fewer or more than 7 hours a day was associated with a greater risk of earlier death.

Here’s what Reynolds advises patients to do to get better sleep with type 2 diabetes.

• Set a bed- and wake time. “On the weekend, you might sleep in, and then the Monday blues set in, and it’s tough to get up. So keep a set wake and bedtime for every day, which is important for sleep quality,” she says.
• Go screen free. The time to scroll through your phone is not when you climb into bed, as blue light suppresses melatonin, a hormone necessary for falling asleep.
• Exercise. Physical activity not only helps improve insulin sensitivity by encouraging muscle cells to take up blood glucose for energy but is also associated with better sleep, notes Johns Hopkins Medicine.
• Clean up your sleep hygiene. Keep your room dark, cool, and quiet to set the stage for a restful night (and waking up less).
• Find your wind-down routine. Take a warm shower, do a relaxing skincare routine, read a book, or write in a journal — whatever helps you prepare for bed. Keeping a mood journal (writing about your feelings and emotions) can play a role in decreasing anxiety surrounding chronic conditions like diabetes, suggests the ADA.
• Drink smart. Avoid caffeine at least 8 hours before bedtime, and don’t drink alcohol before bed. Both can cut into sleep quality, says Reynolds.
• Avoid having a heavy meal. Not only can heavy meals impact your blood sugar levels, but eating one close to bedtime can keep your blood sugar high overnight, which will affect the quality of your sleep, says Reynolds.

https://www.everydayhealth.com/type-2-diabetes/sleep-whats-the-connection/

Diabetes remission diet also lowers blood pressure and reduces need for medication

From eurekalert.org

New research has shown that if people achieve and maintain substantial weight loss to manage their type 2 diabetes, many can also effectively control their high blood pressure and stop or cut down on their anti-hypertensive medication.

A weight management programme, developed by researchers at the Universities of Glasgow and Newcastle for the Diabetes UK-funded DIabetes REmission Clinical Trial (DIRECT), has proved effective at lowering blood pressure and reducing the need for anti-hypertensive medications, as well as bringing remission of type 2 diabetes.

The programme involves an initial 12 weeks on a nutritionally complete formula diet (low calorie soups and shakes) which will induce weight loss of over 15 kg (over 2 stones) if followed fully. Diabetes and blood pressure drugs were stopped at the start, and only re-started if blood sugar or blood pressure rose.

The weight loss phase is followed by support to choose foods and eat wisely for weight loss maintenance. Maintaining the 15 kg weight loss allowed 8 out of 10 people to become free from type 2 diabetes, without the need for diabetes medications for at least 2 years.

This study, published in the journal Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes [EASD]), looked at 143 people who started the diet programme, with more than half (78 people) on tablets for high blood pressure at the start (and 44 on two or more drugs). The researchers found that, overall, average blood pressure fell steadily as people lost weight. And blood pressure remained lower after the formula diet period finished, and then at 12 and at 24 months.

For those not previously treated for high blood pressure, blood pressures fell sharply from week one. For those who had stopped their blood pressure tablets, blood pressure still fell, although more slowly. Just over a quarter (28%) needed to reintroduce a blood pressure tablet during the formula diet period. However, researchers also found that the same proportion of participants (28%) were able to remain off their medications for at least two years.

Prof Mike Lean, from the University of Glasgow, said: "We wanted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of withdrawing blood pressure medication when beginning our specially-designed weight-loss programme for type 2 diabetes, and we are really pleased with the results.

"Our study shows that, in addition to possible remission from type 2 diabetes, there are other very important health benefits, as weight loss is a very effective treatment for hypertension and its associated serious health risks.

"Currently, over half of all the 4.5 million people with type 2 diabetes in UK also require tablets for hypertension, to reduce serious vascular complications. Being overweight is the main cause, and losing weight can bring a remission from hypertension for many, as well as a remission of diabetes. Withdrawing blood pressure medications is safe, provided people lost weight and blood pressure was checked regularly, in case tablets needed to be reintroduced.

"The DiRECT trial was done entirely in primary care. The evidence shows that GPs can safely offer an evidence-based intensive weight management intervention, aiming for substantial weight loss and remission of type 2 diabetes. The study further highlights the links between diet, weight, type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and how long-term support to maintain weight loss is vital."

Professor Roy Taylor, from Newcastle University, said: "Guidelines encourage doctors to start tablets but there have been few demonstrations of how tablets can be stopped.

"My patients, like so many, do not like swallowing multiple tablets, and this study is important as we can now reassure them that stopping blood pressure tablets is not only safe but also good for their health. We've shown that when substantial weight loss is achieved and maintained, patients can effectively manage both their blood pressure and type 2 diabetes without drugs."

Dr Wilma Leslie, University of Glasgow, said: "The potential to no longer need medications for blood pressure and diabetes is a big incentive for people. We hope our results will reassure health professionals that this is possible, and encourage the wider provision of diabetes remission services."

Dr Elizabeth Robertson, Director of Research at Diabetes UK, said: "These important results show that the Diabetes UK-funded DiRECT low-calorie, weight management programme not only helps some people put their type 2 diabetes into remission, but can also lower blood pressure, allowing some people to safely stop taking their blood pressure medication.

"We're delighted to see more evidence of the life-changing impact of the DiRECT programme on people's health. This makes us even more determined to make sure as many people as possible have access to type 2 diabetes remission services."

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/d-drd052721.php