Can a diabetes diagnosis be reversed through lifestyle changes?
A program at the Montreal Heart Institute suggests it’s possible, with 40% of participants achieving disease control without medication within six months and entering remission. This finding offers hope for individuals seeking alternatives to long-term medication management of type 2 diabetes.
“What’s interesting about our approach is that, in a way, we don’t conform to these diagnoses,” explains Dr. Josep Iglesies-Grau, a cardiologist at the Montreal Heart Institute. “We try to explain that there is a path to remission, to reverse these processes and return to normal blood sugar levels.”
The program provides year-long support to patients through a multidisciplinary team, incorporating personalized diet and exercise plans.
“In terms of physical activity, we propose, in a very personalized way, moderate cardio activity for less than 30 minutes a day, at least five times a week,” Dr. Iglesies-Grau stated.
Nutritionally, the Montreal Heart Institute program focuses on a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet.
“We now grasp that 45% of the calories we eat come from ultra-processed products that didn’t really exist a few decades ago. We try to teach patients to identify processed products and as well help them replace them, in a personalized way, with fresh or minimally processed foods,” the cardiologist explained.
However, for program participant Claude Brillon, maintaining these lifestyle changes is the biggest challenge to achieving lasting diabetes reversal.
“It’s not just about doing it once, but maintaining this lifestyle,” he said.
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