A study published in *The BMJ* reveals that adults with obesity and type 2 diabetes who use the SGLT-2 inhibitor dapagliflozin along with moderate calorie restriction achieve higher rates of diabetes remission compared to those relying solely on calorie control. The research, conducted across multiple Chinese centers, involved 3,328 participants under six years old with type 2 diabetes and a BMI over 25. Half the group received dapagliflozin plus calorie restriction, while the other half had only calorie restriction.
At one year, 44% of the dapagliflozin group achieved remission, compared to 28% in the placebo group. The dapagliflozin group also showed significant weight loss and improvements in insulin resistance and metabolic factors like body fat mass, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels.
The researchers noted that while the study is promising, its limitations include not being applicable to all type 2 diabetes patients of different races or those with the condition for more than six years. However, they emphasized the regimen’s practicality in clinical settings with good adherence by participants.
An editorial by Jonathan Valabhji questioned whether glucose-lowering drugs should be discontinued at remission and if personalized treatment regimens based on drug mechanisms could improve outcomes. He also highlighted the need to evaluate drug safety profiles and consider population-level implications for cost-effectiveness.
Source: https://www.insideprecisionmedicine.com/topics/patient-care/moderate-calorie-restriction-plus-sglt-2-achieves-higher-diabetes-remission-rate