UT Southwestern Diabetes Experts Recommend a Paradigm Shift in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes to Focus on Weight Loss: Newsroom

Dallas – September 30, 2021 – An international panel of experts from four prestigious diabetes research centers, including the UT Southwestern Medical Center, reviews the current literature and focuses on obesity first and glucose control. Second, recommends critical changes in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Endocrinologist Ildiko Lingvay, MD, MPH, MSCS

“Obesity is known to contribute to the progression of diabetes. What’s new is that instead of focusing on lowering blood sugar, the main approach to treating type 2 diabetes is to treat obesity. We recommend that you have one, “said the lead author. Ildiko Lingvay, MD, MPH, MSCS, Professor of Internal Medicine and Population and Data Science in UT Southwestern, ranked as one of the United States Top 25 hospitals For diabetes and endocrinology care.

Researchers say that losing more than 15% of body weight can have a disease-modifying effect on type 2 diabetes. This is a result that cannot be achieved with other glucose-lowering interventions. They point out that the new focus will need to update current treatment guidelines and provide important healthcare provider education. The panel recommendations are as follows: Release of Lancet It was presented at the European Association Conference for Diabetes Research. The author’s disclosure is included in the manuscript.

Current approaches to diabetes treatment have relied on clinical studies in the 1980s and found that lowering blood sugar levels reduced the complications of diabetes. These early results supported treating blood glucose as a primary target, Dr. Lingvay said.

“The problem with this approach is that it doesn’t address the core issues and doesn’t provide an opportunity to get rid of the disease,” he said. Endocrinology At UT Southwestern. “We suggest using a proactive approach. Address the cause of illness, obesity.”

This latest discovery continues Dr. Lingvay’s many years of effort to investigate the best ways to provide the most effective clinical care for patients with type 2 diabetes.As Early Career Teacher In 2005, Dr. Limbey attended UT Southwestern First Class. Clinical and Translational Research Scholarship ProgramA rigorous multi-year program designed for clinical researchers and juniors who are on track to win extra-wall grants and have great hopes of becoming independently funded researchers. .. She was also awarded the National Institutes of Health Career Development Award for studying the role of pancreatic triglyceride accumulation in beta-cell disorders and type 2 diabetes.

According to the American Diabetes Association, type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease caused by obesity or metabolic disorders. More than 10% of the US population is diagnosed with diabetes, and 1.5 million people are diagnosed with diabetes each year.

Weight loss surgery is effective for obese patients, but not all patients have access to this option. “It’s difficult to achieve sustained weight loss. Most lifestyle interventions result in progressive weight loss over the next 6 months, followed by plateau and weight recovery over the next 1-3 years,” said Dr. Lingvay. Added. “New weight loss drugs and drugs in the pipeline help patients manage their weight in the long run.”

Researchers also advocated insurance coverage to support the treatment of obesity and diabetes, emphasizing the importance of working in public health to increase access to care and reduce inequality.

About UT Southwestern Medical Center

One of the country’s leading academic medical centers, UT Southwestern integrates pioneering biomedical research with outstanding clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty members have received six Nobel Prizes, including 25 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 16 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. More than 2,800 full-time faculty members are responsible for breakthrough medical advances, and Southwestern physicians provide care for more than 117,000 inpatients and more than 360,000 emergency room cases in approximately 80 disciplines. We provide and supervise nearly 3 million outpatients annually. ..