Thread by @DocRunner1

1/10 Something to celebrate:

New research gives #hope for *EVERYONE* with type 2 diabetes🎉

Our study finds that >3/4 of people with #T2D diagnosed in the previous 12 months can achieve drug-free remission simply by improving their diet

A Twitter thread on our findings...

2/10 This "real world" study covers 8 years and looked at 186 people with T2D in a typical 🇬🇧general practice who decided to try a low carbohydrate approach

Mean duration of low carb diet was 33 months although many have continued to cut out carbs for years more

3/10 The paper is published today in @BMJNutrition
Authors: @lowcarbGP (Lead), @jen_unwin , @ChrisDLDN , @DocRunner1 and Prof Roy Taylor (world-leading expert on reversing T2D and an author of #DiRECT study)

Here's a link to the paper 👇
nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/…

4/10 RESULTS:

Perhaps most important is that *51% of people with T2D* of any duration can achieve drug-free remission by ⬇️ carbs

BUT this rises to a whopping *77%* 🤯 if they do this within a year of diagnosis 👏

Clearly, the earlier you cut the carbs, the better - don't wait

5/10 Is weight loss necessary to achieve remission?

THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION

Everyone who achieved remission lost some weight BUT 3 people only lost a tiny amount (1kg or less)

It's very hard for me to believe that a tiny weight loss of ≤1kg can achieve remission🤔

6/10 I believe our research suggests that some degree of weight loss will always accompany cutting carbs

BUT...

IT'S CUTTING THE CARBS THAT CAUSES REMISSION OF TYPE 2 DIABETES AND NOT THE WEIGHT LOSS PER SE

I realise this is contentious but I cannot see any other explanation

7/10 Our results also show that year on year we're getting better at helping folk achieve remission

When we started offering low carb 8 years ago, 31% of people with T2D achieved remission

It's now 51% !!!...

...climbing to 77% remission rate if diagnosed within the last year

8/10 There's also a huge improvement in metabolic markers of health. We found cutting out the carbs caused:

Systolic BP ⬇️8mmHg
Weight ⬇️11kg
Diabetes control improved (HbA1c⬇️17mmol/mol)
Total cholesterol ⬇️by 0.6mmol/l
Triglycerides⬇️by 0.7mmol/l

9/10 As you'd expect, using a dietary approach to reverse diabetes is so much cheaper than medication

My surgery (10k patients) saves >£68k/year compared to similar practices

Just imagine how much the #NHS could save if all practices in the 🇬🇧 offered this @SteveBarclay 🤔💷

10/10 Key Messages:

There's #hope for everyone with type 2 diabetes if they choose to⬇️ carbs

The majority can achieve drug-free remission

For those who do not achieve remission there still hope as overall, *97%* will improve their diabetes control (HbA1c)

11/10! Several people have asked for resources to support folk who want to ⬇️ their carbs

The Freshwell app + website is fab: lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk and follow @LoCarbFreshwell
As is this site: newforestpcn.co.uk/low-carb/
And Infographics from @lowcarbGP
phcuk.org/sugar