WEBVTT - BrainStuff Classics: Is Type 2 Diabetes Reversible?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Lauren voge bom here with another episode from the

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<v Speaker 1>archives owhen presented with a diagnosis like type two diabetes,

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<v Speaker 1>it can be easy to spiral into thinking that you'll

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<v Speaker 1>need insulin forever. But with lifestyle changes, that doesn't have

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<v Speaker 1>to be the case. I'll let former Lauren explain, Hey

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, Lauren vogel bam here. If you've been diagnosed

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<v Speaker 1>with diabetes, no doubt you've been told to change your

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<v Speaker 1>eating habits more veggies, fewer sweets, and to get more exercise.

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<v Speaker 1>These actions were thought to control your diabetes, but not

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<v Speaker 1>to reverse it, but a paper published in the b

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<v Speaker 1>m J says the type two diabetes is indeed reversible

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<v Speaker 1>for many patients who lose around fifteen ms or thirty

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<v Speaker 1>three pounds. Diabetes is a chronic condition that has been

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<v Speaker 1>rising rapidly throughout the world. It affected eight point five

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<v Speaker 1>percent of the world's population, about hundred and twenty two

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<v Speaker 1>million people, up from four point seven percent in the

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<v Speaker 1>most common form of diabetes is type two diabetes, also

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<v Speaker 1>known as adult onset diabetes. It occurs when the body

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't effectively use the insulin it produces insulin, being the

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<v Speaker 1>hormone that regulates blood sugar. If your blood sugar level

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<v Speaker 1>is too high and is not treated, it can lead

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<v Speaker 1>to severe problems like blindness, stroke, kidney failure, and foot amputations.

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<v Speaker 1>Type two diabetes is almost always directly tied to physical

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<v Speaker 1>inactivity and extra body weight. We spoke with paper co

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<v Speaker 1>author Roy Taylor, Professor of medicine and Metabolism at Newcastle University,

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<v Speaker 1>via email. The belief amongst doctors and scientists is that

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<v Speaker 1>type two diabetes is irreversible, always get steadily worse, demanding

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<v Speaker 1>more and more drugs than insulin. Patient groups advised that

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<v Speaker 1>the first step for someone newly diagnosed is to get

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<v Speaker 1>used to the idea of dealing with a lifelong illness.

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<v Speaker 1>His research is the latest chapter in year's worth of

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<v Speaker 1>investigation about type two diabetes. In two thousand and six,

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<v Speaker 1>he noticed that liver function tests done in patients were

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<v Speaker 1>usually abnormal or on the high side. Then he saw

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<v Speaker 1>research that patients who had undergone bariatric surgery enjoyed normal

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<v Speaker 1>fasting glucose levels within one week of the operation. He said,

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<v Speaker 1>although it became widely believed that this was an effect

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<v Speaker 1>of special hormones produced by the gut. It was clear

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<v Speaker 1>to me that it might simply be the sharp decrease

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<v Speaker 1>in food intake. I published a hypothesis, the twin cycle hypothesis,

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<v Speaker 1>suggesting how everything might be explained by too much fat

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<v Speaker 1>in the liver and pancreas, then set about testing that hypothesis.

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<v Speaker 1>His hunch was proved in twenty eleven, and after that

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<v Speaker 1>the group conducted a larger study to find out if

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<v Speaker 1>those benefits continued long term. The scientists were pleased to

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<v Speaker 1>discover that remission does stay constant after a return to

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<v Speaker 1>normal eating, provided that these subjects maintain a steady weight. Unfortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of patients and doctors haven't clued into this

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<v Speaker 1>finding that diabetes can go into remission. The b m

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<v Speaker 1>J paper was actually written to draw more attention to

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<v Speaker 1>the reversibility of the condition and to incentivize everyone to

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<v Speaker 1>strive for remission. Taylor said remission is a great advantage

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<v Speaker 1>to people with type two diabetes. Although many are content

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<v Speaker 1>to continue taking the tablets or insulin and risk loss

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<v Speaker 1>of eyesight, feet, etcetera, there are large numbers desperate to

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<v Speaker 1>escape from type two diabetes. The authors call for doctors

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<v Speaker 1>to record patients who have gone into remission. Taylor said

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<v Speaker 1>in the UK National Health Service there is a special

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<v Speaker 1>coding category to describe diabetes in remission. It allows physicians

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<v Speaker 1>to still be paid, ex sufferers to not have to

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<v Speaker 1>call themselves diabetic, and annual checks to be done to

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<v Speaker 1>help motivation to keep weight steady. To achieve remission diabetes

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<v Speaker 1>type too, patients must get their hemoglobin a one c

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<v Speaker 1>blood level to normal levels for one year without assistance

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<v Speaker 1>from diabetes medication. On its website, the American Diabetes Association

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<v Speaker 1>notes that it's very rare for patients diabetes to go

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<v Speaker 1>into remission unless they've had bariatric surgery. However, the European

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<v Speaker 1>Diabetes Diabetes dot co dot UK is more up beat,

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<v Speaker 1>stating that low carb diets like the Mediterranean diet and

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<v Speaker 1>commitment to exercise, as well as bariatric surgery have all

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<v Speaker 1>helped some people with diabetes to achieve remission. If you

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<v Speaker 1>or someone you know is living with type two diabetes,

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<v Speaker 1>consider talking to a doctor about steps to take toward remission.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode is based on the article type two diabetes

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<v Speaker 1>is reversible after All on how Stuffworks dot com, written

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<v Speaker 1>by Leah Hoyt. The brain Stuff is production of by

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<v Speaker 1>Heart Radio and partnership with how stuff Works dot com,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's produced by Tyler Klang. Or more podcasts my

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