A realistic view of diabetes remission: GLP-1 therapies and the future of diabetic retinopathy

A recent paper published in The Lancet caught my attention with the provocative title “Impact of Bodyweight Loss on Type 2 Diabetes Remission: A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.” The authors define “complete remission of diabetes” as a glycated haemoglobin level (HbA_1c) less than 6.0% and/or a fasting glucose level less than 100 mg/dL with no use of glucose-lowering drugs at 1 year after weight loss. They define “partial remission” as HbA_1c less than 6.5% and/or fasting glucose less than 126 mg/dL with no glucose-lowering drugs, again 1 year after weight loss.¹