LRH Americas: Diet and Exercise Program Achieves Diabetes Remission in 54% of Patients

November 2, 2026 15:53

A low-calorie diet and exercise program helped 54% of young participants achieve remission of type 2 diabetes within 24 weeks. In the standard-treatment group, the rate was approximately 4%. The results of the RESET for Remission study were published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.

The randomized trial, conducted in the United Kingdom and Canada, involved 96 people aged 18–45 with type 2 diabetes and obesity who were not receiving insulin. The average age was 38. Fifty participants were enrolled in the intensive program, while the remaining 46 continued with standard treatment.

During the first 12 weeks, the program involved a diet providing 800–900 kilocalories per day, along with structured aerobic and strength-training sessions. Two workouts per week were supervised by specialists, while participants completed a third session independently. This was followed by 12 weeks focused on maintaining weight loss and continuing physical activity on their own.

Remission was defined as a glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level below 6.5% without the use of glucose-lowering medication for at least 12 weeks. By the end of the follow-up period, 27 of the 50 participants in the intensive program and two of the 46 in the control group had achieved remission. Participants for whom final data were unavailable were classified as not having achieved remission.

Participants in the intensive program also lost more weight. Among those who completed the final weigh-in, the average weight loss was approximately 8.4 kilograms, compared with 1.2 kilograms in the comparison group.