Medical Guides

In some cases of type 2 diabetes, by weight loss and regular exercise, blood glucose can become normal. The patient may interpret that his diabetes is cured.

However, as gradually the body becomes unable to produce enough insulin or the body’s cells become more resistant to insulin’s effects, the patients blood glucose rise, resulting in frank diabetes again. Therefore, if weight loss, exercise and changes in eating result in normal blood glucose, it doesn’t mean that the diabetes has been cured.

How Does Weight Reduction Helps in the Management of Diabetes?
Excess fat decreases the number of insulin receptors present in the body and may decrease the body’s sensitivity to insulin thus aggravating diabetes. Reducing weight reverses these changes and controls diabetes. Many type 2 diabetics improve with weight loss.

Can Diabetes be Treated Without Drugs?

Type 1 (insulin-dependent or juvenile onset) diabetics, must take daily insulin injections to keep blood glucose in a normal range. In type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes, many people can keep their blood glucose in a healthy range without medications if they lose weight and maintain their lowered weight, exercise regularly, and follow a proper diet schedule.

Eventually, they find that in spite of weight control, exercise and diet, their blood glucose remain high. Then they require drugs.

How Long should One Continue Anti-diabetes Treatment?

A diabetic requires life-long treatment. Remember the dictum —”Once detected a diabetic you are always a diabetic”. The exceptions to this rule are pregnancy induced diabetes or stress induced diabetes. Even these patients should remember that they are at an increased risk of developing diabetes later on in life.