Weight Loss is Essential to Optimize Type 2 Diabetes Treatment Management

The new consensus report from the American Diabetes Association and European Assocation for the Study of Diabetes (ADA/EASD) recommends weight reduction as a targeted intervention in persons with type 2 diabetes (T2D), shifting loss of baseline body weight from a strategy to improve HbA1C and reduce risk for weight-related complications to a specific goal with benchmark values.

Research shows that weight loss of 5% to 10% leads to improvement in several metabolic parameters and that greater reduction, 10% to 15%, can modify disease course and lead to T2D remission.

Nisa Maruthur, MD, MHS, a coauthor of the consensus report, a primary care physician, and diabetes prevention researcher, told Patient Care^® recently these weight loss targets are "absolutely realistic" but also that to succeed, patients with T2D need ongoing support that is not always available.

For more conversations with Dr Maruthur:

ADA, EASD 2022 Consensus Report from the Primary Care Point of View, with Nisa Maruthur, MD, MHS

Primary Care Would Benefit from Education on Use of SGLT-2 Inhibitors, GLP-1 Mimetics: Nisa Maruthur, MD, MHS

ADA/EASD Calls for Wide Systemic Change to Address Impact of Social Determinants of Health

ADA/EASD Consensus Report on T2D Management: Coauthor Talks Take-homes for Primary Care

Nisa M Maruthur, MD, MHS, is associate professor of medicine, epidemiology, and nursing at Johns Hopkins University and director of the general internal medicine fellowship program, at Johns Hopkins Medicine, in Baltimore, MD. Dr Maruthur also conducts clinical research in diabetes with a focus on diabetes prevention. She is particularly interetsetd in community-based approaches to improving diabetes outcomes and in individualized medicine.