Type 2 diabetes remission means keeping normal blood sugar for at least a year without any diabetes medication. You get there by losing weight, especially around the waist. You can also get there with drastic diet and lifestyle changes. For some patients, bariatric surgery is the path. Research shows almost 50% of people with type 2 diabetes reach remission through weight loss.
Many people living with diabetes often wonder if diabetes remission is possible for them. For most people, it is a goal they can reach. If you are lucky, you can go for years without any diabetes medication and still keep normal sugar levels. You have to be willing to put in the hard work. Here is how. Type 2 diabetes is a serious chronic condition that can cause disabling effects. For many, it can be lifelong and get worse over time. On the flip side, it can also cause no problems when it goes into long-term remission. Most people use a three-part approach to treating Type 2 diabetes: medication, diet, and exercise. Some lucky few are able to drop their medication and still keep normal blood sugar. But research shows that many people can reach a similar level of success in managing diabetes. Is diabetes reversal the same as diabetes remission? People often confuse remission with diabetes reversal. But the two mean totally different things. Reversal implies that one is completely cured of diabetes. Remission means that a person lives symptom-free for a long time without being on medication. With remission, you always know the disease might come back. Our article on the difference between diabetes reversal and remission explains it better. You can read it here.
What is diabetes remission?
Diabetes remission occurs in people with Type 2 diabetes. It means that you can keep normal blood sugar levels without taking any diabetes medication. Diabetes remission is not a cure for diabetes. The term remission means that Type 2 diabetes might come back, or it might not. Also, if one goes back to an old (unhealthy) diet and lifestyle, their blood sugar is likely to spike. In 2009, the American Diabetes Association defined Type 2 diabetes remission as follows: 3 Categories Partial remission, complete remission and prolonged remission as
- Partial remission: blood sugar which does not meet the classification for Type 2 Diabetes; fasting blood glucose 5.5 – 6.9 mmol/l for at least 1 year.
- Complete remission: normal glucose values i.e. fasting blood glucose < 5.6 mmol/L for at least 1 year.
- Prolonged remission: normal glucose values i.e. fasting blood glucose < 5.6 mmol/L for at least 5 years.
For all the three categories above, the patient must be off all diabetic medication for that length of time. The American Diabetes Association is clear on this. Say a person uses diet and exercise plus a drug that lowers blood sugar, such as Metformin. That person does not qualify for remission. Remission can be reached after bariatric surgery. It can also be reached by making drastic diet and lifestyle changes.
How To Achieve Diabetes Remission
1. Weight Loss
Losing weight around the waist can significantly increase your chances of remission. Before you start a weight loss journey, talk with your healthcare provider first. This is to make sure it is safe for you, especially if you have other health conditions. You might also need help finding which weight loss approach works best for you. To see how losing weight can cause remission, we need to draw the link between being overweight and Type 2 diabetes. The fat that builds up around the middle is dangerous because it surrounds key organs like the liver and pancreas. This makes it harder for those organs to work right, and that leads to Type 2 diabetes. Research has shown that almost 50% of people with type 2 diabetes can reach remission to a non-diabetic state through weight loss. This has been associated with early and lasting improvement in how pancreatic beta cells (the cells that make insulin) work. But not everyone who develops Type 2 diabetes is overweight. Other factors such as age, ethnicity and family history come into play as well. These factors shape how well the liver and pancreas work. They also shape where we store our fat. We cannot change these factors. But we can influence type 2 diabetes by changing the factors within our control. Also, not everyone who loses extra weight will go into remission. Still, weight loss on its own has significant health benefits for a person with diabetes. This may mean taking fewer meds and having less risk of complications.
2. Making Drastic Diet and lifestyle changes
Research has shown that a low-calorie diet could help people lose weight and go into remission. A non-inflammatory diet does more than help weight loss. It can also reduce insulin resistance (when cells stop answering insulin). Metabolic inflammation is a key driver of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Better insulin sensitivity can trigger remission. For more on non-inflammatory diets, you can read our article here. Lifestyle changes such as regular exercise will also help you lose weight.
3. Weight loss surgery for diabetes remission
Bariatric surgery can also help one reach remission. Bariatric surgery helps one eat less and reach healthy, lasting weight loss. It is not a quick fix for obesity and diabetes. However, in a few cases, your doctor may recommend it. Note that before approval, you have to show the drive and discipline to stick with the weight loss program.
What To Do When You Are In Remission
Diabetes remission may mean different things for different people. For some, it may last for a year before it comes back. For others, it may go away for long stretches of time. But for most people, it comes with lower blood sugar, better cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure. These signs point to better health in the long run. Once you are in remission, work to keep the healthy habits that triggered the remission in the first place. Keep going to your regular check-ups. Talk to your healthcare team if you are worried about anything or have any questions. Keep a positive and hopeful spirit as you work toward prolonged remission.
Related reading
- Liquid Diet to Reverse Type 2 Diabetes
- Reversing Diabetes: What Works
- Reverse Diabetes Program: Our Mission
- Weight Loss and Diabetes Reversal
References
- Diabetes UK: What is diabetes? Retrieved from https://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes-the-basics/what-is-type-2-diabetes
- Diabetes UK: Diabetes Remission. Retrieved from https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/managing-your-diabetes/treating-your-diabetes/type2-diabetes-remission#remission%20research
- Science Daily (2018): Why weight loss produces remission of type 2 diabetes in some patients. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/08/180802141722.htm
Medically reviewed by Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
Interventional pain physician, addiction medicine specialist and obesity medicine diplomate.
Licensed in Missouri and Illinois.
Last reviewed June 18, 2026
