We take a look at some of the exciting diabetes research developments announced in April, and what the findings could mean for people living with or affected by diabetes.
In this month's article:
- Long-term health benefits of early weight loss after type 2 diabetes diagnosis
- A common virus may play a role in type 1 diabetes
- The link between diabetes and anaemia
Long-term health benefits of early weight loss after type 2 diabetes diagnosis
For people with type 2 diabetes who are carrying extra weight, weight loss can bring real health benefits. In a new study, researchers in Italy wanted to know more about the long-term impact of losing weight soon after a type 2 diagnosis.
It’s thought weight loss earlier on could be particularly helpful in slowing the progress of type 2 diabetes. This is because by reducing fat in key organs, like the liver and pancreas, weight loss could help the body respond better to insulin and take pressure off the cells that make insulin, so they can work better for longer.
To find out more, researchers studied thousands of people with type 2 diabetes and compared those who lost 10% or more of their bodyweight within the first five years of their diagnosis, to those who did not. They studied the participants’ health data for up to 25 years after they were diagnosed.
They discovered that early weight loss can still offer health benefits after 10 to 25 years. Specifically, over this period, they found that people who lost 10% or more of their body weight early on
- Had better blood sugar control (lower HbA1c levels)
- Were 3 to 4 times more likely to go into type 2 diabetes remission
- Had better blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
People who lost 5–10% of their body weight also saw some improvements, but not as much as those who lost 10% or more.
Findings also revealed that early weight loss alone didn’t directly reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications. But remission did. People who went into remission had a lower risk of developing complications, like eye or kidney problems.
This study suggests that losing around 10% of your bodyweight in the first few years after a type 2 diabetes diagnosis can bring lasting health benefits. However, the weight loss journey is unique for everyone and can be a real struggle. That’s why we continue to support research, hoping to give people with type 2 diabetes more ways to approach and, eventually, benefit from weight loss and remission.
This study was published in Diabetologia.
A common virus may play a role in type 1 diabetes
Scientists believe that both our genes and environment play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes. There’s growing evidence that viral infections could be one potential environmental trigger, especially those caused by common enteroviruses.
A new study from the nPOD-Virus Group, published in Diabetologia, is the largest and most detailed look so far into the links between enteroviruses and type 1 diabetes.
The international research team, including Professor Sarah Richardson, who we fund through the Type 1 Diabetes Grand Challenge, studied pancreas samples from nearly 200 donors. This included:
- People with type 1 diabetes who had no insulin-producing beta cells left.
- People with type 1 diabetes who still had some working beta cells.
- People with early-stage type 1 diabetes. This means the condition hasn’t yet fully developed, but someone is almost certain to receive a diagnosis in their lifetime.
- People without type 1 diabetes who have a higher risk of developing it, because their immune system has sent early warning signals.
- People without type 1 diabetes who have a low risk of developing it in the future.
Researchers used over 600 tests to check the pancreas samples for different signs of enterovirus infection.
The results showed that people with type 1 diabetes who still had some remaining beta cells were the most likely to show signs of enterovirus infection in the pancreas. About 58% of tests from this group came back positive for the virus.
In people with early-stage type 1 diabetes, 35% of tests were positive. And in people at a higher risk of type 1 diabetes, 25% were positive.
People without type 1 diabetes and people with type 1 diabetes whose beta cells had all been destroyed were the least likely to show any signs of the virus.
This study provides the strongest evidence to date that enteroviruses may play a role in triggering type 1 diabetes, or in driving its progression during the early stages.
The virus doesn’t seem to cause sudden damage. Instead, an infection might persist at low levels, slowly affecting the immune system’s response and its damage to beta cells over time.
Fully understanding the role viruses play in type 1 diabetes could lead to new ways to prevent the condition, by helping scientists develop new immunotherapy treatments that change how the immune system responds to a virus, or vaccines that stop the virus from causing harm in the first place.
The link between diabetes and anaemia
A large new study looked into whether people with diabetes are more likely to have anaemia. This is a condition where your blood doesn’t carry enough oxygen, which can make you feel tired, weak or dizzy.
Researchers looked at the health records of almost 400,000 people in the US and UK, mostly between the ages of 40 and 69. They found that people with diabetes were 2 to 4 times more likely to have anaemia than people without diabetes.
The researchers didn’t distinguish between different types of diabetes in their study, but it’s likely most people included had type 2 diabetes.
Researchers also followed people for over 13 years and saw that those with diabetes had a higher risk of developing several types of anaemia, including iron deficiency anaemia, anaemia linked to long-term illness and vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia.
Even after accounting for things like kidney problems, inflammation, or the medications people were taking – which are known to increase the risk of anaemia – the connection between diabetes and anaemia stayed strong. The research team say more studies are now needed to understand why diabetes and anaemia are connected.
A simple blood test can check for anaemia. If you’re concerned about your risk, you should discuss this with your diabetes healthcare professional.
This study was published in Diabetes Care.
