Patients who lose weight soon after being diagnosed with type-2 diabetes have double the chance of experiencing positive outcomes, it has been claimed.
A Kaiser Permanente study published online in Diabetes Care, the American Diabetes Association journal, has revealed that people who lose weight may go on to have better control over their blood sugar levels and blood pressure, even if they go on to regain some weight.
More than 2,500 adults with the condition were followed for four years and it was found that individuals who did not lose weight within 18 months of diagnosis were half as likely to achieve such control, Eurekalert reports.
Benefits of such weight loss can include a reduced risk of diabetes-related heart disease, blindness, nerve and kidney damage and death.
Lead author Dr Adrianne Feldstein said: "It appears there may be a critical window of opportunity following diagnosis in which some lasting gains can be achieved if people are willing to take immediate steps toward lifestyle changes."
In related news, the American Association of Diabetes Educators has announced that 33 per cent of diabetes patients felt "some level of dread" in connection to insulin injections.
