Remission of Type 2 Diabetes in India: Insights from a Clinical Case Series
Vinayak Hingane, Renuka HinganeAbstract
Background:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a progressive disease, although early stage remission may be achievable with intensive lifestyle modification. Real-world evidence from Indian clinical settings remains limited. This study aims to evaluate drug-free remission of T2DM through a structured lifestyle intervention in a real-world clinical setting in India.
Materials and Methods:
Adults aged ≥18 years with noninsulin-dependent T2DM who were willing to undertake intensive lifestyle changes were included. The intervention comprised a low-calorie, low-carbohydrate diet, individualized physical activity, and sleep optimization. Oral antidiabetic medications, when present, were systematically tapered and discontinued. Patients were followed up for 3–60 months. The primary outcome was drug-free remission (glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] <6.5% for ≥3 months). Secondary outcomes included changes in HbA1c, body weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure (BP).
Results:
A total of 23 patients were included (mean age 50.6 [9.0] years; 69.6% male). The median duration of diabetes was 1 month (inter-quartile range 0–72). All participants achieved drug-free remission during follow-up. Mean HbA1c decreased significantly from 8.3% (2.1) at baseline to 5.8% (0.5) postintervention (mean reduction 2.5%,
Conclusion:
Structured lifestyle intervention can achieve significant metabolic improvement and drug-free remission of T2DM, particularly in early disease. These findings highlight the potential of remission-focused lifestyle strategies in Indian clinical practice and warrant validation in larger prospective studies.