Dr Shriram Nene, a cardiothoracic surgeon and husband of Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit, recently appeared on Mashable India and pointed out how changing lifestyles, carbohydrate-heavy diets, lack of physical activity, and increased screen time are contributing to our country being called the ‘diabetes capital of the world.’
“My father had diabetes, and we were able to reverse it and make him medicine-independent. He was diet-controlled, and that took some rigid protocols, which we created,” he shared with the host, further adding, “Also, going from an agrarian country, where in the past generations we were tilling fields and having a very carbohydrate-rich diet, to going to an industrial country where you have IT centres and people are working there. If you adopt the same diet, and you are not working out, and you are on your devices a lot, then it becomes very difficult.”
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
But is it actually possible to reverse diabetes?
Dr S Ramkumar, Consultant – Endocrinologist & Diabetologist at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, says diabetes reversal is possible if it is mild type 2 diabetes. “However, if it’s in an advanced stage, where the person is using insulin, then it’s not possible,” he clarified.
“The concept of diabetes reversal has been around for a few years. Still, it’s essential first to clarify the type of diabetes we are dealing with, whether it is type 1, type 2, genetic, pregnancy-related, drug-induced, or pancreatic, as the outcomes and management vary significantly,” he tells indianexpress.com.
“For instance, in drug-induced diabetes, such as that caused by steroids, stopping the offending drug can bring blood sugar under control and even normalise HbA1c levels. In contrast, pancreatic diabetes often requires long-term medication, usually insulin, and complete reversal is unlikely,” he explains, further adding that in pregnancy-related diabetes, the term remission or reversal doesn’t apply. “Once the pregnancy concludes, blood sugars typically return to normal, although some may later develop type 2 diabetes”.
What about type 1 diabetes?
According to him, type 1 diabetes is caused by autoimmune destruction of beta cells, resulting in lifelong insulin dependence. “Although there is a temporary phase called the ‘honeymoon phase’ where insulin requirements reduce due to partial beta cell recovery, this is short-lived, and remission or reversal does not occur,” he adds.
In type 2 diabetes, however, reversal can happen particularly in patients with early-onset diabetes who are obese and committed to lifestyle changes like weight loss, healthy diet, and regular exercise, Ramkumar mentions.
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“It’s crucial to remember that diabetes management must be individualised; what works for one patient may not work for another. Reversal is more likely in those recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, who are motivated to lose weight and maintain it,” he concludes.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to. Always consult your health practitioner before starting any routine.
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