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from the big-pharma-ain't-gonna-like-this dept.
A team from Newcastle University, UK, has shown that Type 2 diabetes is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas -- and that losing less than one gram of that fat through weight loss reverses the diabetes.
Affecting two and a half million people in the UK -- and on the increase -- Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition caused by too much glucose, a type of sugar, in the blood.
...
In a trial, 18 people with Type 2 diabetes and 9 people who did not have diabetes were measured for weight, fat levels in the pancreas and insulin response before and after bariatric surgery. The patients with Type 2 diabetes had been diagnosed for an average of 6.9 years, and all for less than 15 years.The people with Type 2 diabetes were found to have increased levels of fat in the pancreas.
The participants in the study had all been selected to have gastric bypass surgery for obesity and were measured before the operation then again eight weeks later. After the operation, those with Type 2 diabetes were immediately taken off their medication.
Both groups lost the same amount of weight, around 13% of their initial body weight. Critically, the pool of fat in the pancreas did not change in the non-diabetics but decreased to a normal level in those with Type 2 diabetes.
Good news for people with Type 2 diabetes and puts more importance on sticking to New Year's resolutions to lose weight.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Francis on Friday December 04 2015, @05:36PM
The study is probably correct. Type 2 diabetes is something that can be reversed for at least some diabetics. It's just really, really hard to do and you're stuck with keeping up with the diet for the rest of your life.
I doubt very much that the pancreatic fat is the real issue here and not fat in general. I've read that the problem with type 2 diabetes is largely an issue of cells being so coated in fat that sugar can't easily get into the cells and leading to high blood sugar levels. Seems reasonable enough, I'm not sure if it's true or not though.
But, anyways, unlike type 1 DM where there isn't sufficient insulin being produced, in type 2 DM it's a matter of the insulin not being allowed to do it's job. And unfortunately, insulin is also the master hormone that has a role in regulating every other hormone you might think of.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Saturday December 05 2015, @06:13AM
Actually, that would be thyroid hormone, which also has a role in regulating the production and use of insulin.
This is probably why with hypothyroidism, it can be difficult or even impossible to lose weight, even on a sharply calorie-restricted diet.
If you are struggling with your weight, thyroid should be the first thing checked (a full panel, NOT just the TSH test which by itself doesn't mean much), not the last resort that unfortunately is how GPs usually regard it.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.