A Patient Loses 18 kg and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: The Challenge of Complete Remission

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adulthood is strongly related to weight gain and excessive accumulation of pancreatic and hepatic fat. We present a case of a 48-year-old man with diabetes who presented two years prior with poorly controlled T2DM diagnosed more than three years before presentation. He had severe hypertension and marked dyslipidemia. He underwent a complete remission of his diabetes after nonintentionally losing 18 kg (his original weight: 58 kg). The patient had excellent euglycemic measures on no treatment at all for the last two years with healthy blood pressure and lipid profile and a reduced 10-year risk of heart disease and stroke from 11% to 3.3%. This case demonstrates the effect of weight loss on glycemic control and consequent remission in T2DM patients.