David Childs thought he was fit and healthy - but when the then 48-year old started to feel his eyesight failing, started getting headaches and even fainting, he knew something was wrong: It was type 2 diabetes.
The diagnosis came as a surprise - David is not overweight - but though obesity does increase the risk of developing diabetes, it is not the only factor and 10% of people who do get it don't have a BMI in the overweight or obese categories.
But David, who is from Cleadon, has been taking part in a game-changing medical trial led by Newcastle University' s Prof Roy Taylor. This study has now shown that by changing diet, type 2 diabetes can be reversed and "put into remission". For David, this is now the case, and as he looks to the future he's determined to stay healthy.
He said he had been fearful after his health began to decline. "My eyesight was failing, I had constant headaches, and I fainted," he said. "I knew something was wrong, but I never expected it to be diabetes! I was a healthy 48-year-old with a BMI of 27. My GP ordered blood tests and, with no family history of diabetes either, they were surprised themselves that the results said it might be type 2 diabetes - further testing showed it was true.
"Immediately I began my journey to understand more about how I can manage my health, but then I joined the ReTUNE trial and within the first round of the study and weight loss, I was already in remission of the condition. My declining health scared me, it is what prompted me to take action and make choices so that I can live a full, healthy life with my family. I exercise and eat right, and I am determined that I’ll stay in remission."
Prof Taylor has previously spoken about how the preliminary results of the trial suggested that rather than simply being overweight, it appeared that being " too heavy for your body" might be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
This trial was called ReTune - and preliminary results released last year gave medics hope that remission might be possible for a greater number of people with type 2 diabetes. This new announcement comes as charity Diabetes UK holds its annual UK Professional Conference today. Other exciting developments being discussed include how almost 1,000 adults and children with type 1 diabetes have been fitted with an "artificial pancreas" which will monitor their glucose levels from under their skin.
Type 1 diabetes is a condition where the body does not produce enough glucose, whereas type 2 is where glucose levels can be too high - and type 2 is commonly, but not always, linked to someone aging or becoming overweight.
Professor Taylor said the trial results were exciting, he added: "This is very good news for everyone with type 2 diabetes, not only pointing the way forward for effective return to health but also challenging the misconceptions clinging to the condition."
Previous studies have shown than losing weight can help those who are overweight tackle diabetes, especially because this involves shedding fat from around organs such as the liver and pancreas. However, this is the first time that the same phenomenon has been shown in those who are not overweight like David.
Professor Taylor and his team put 20 people with the condition and a BMI at or just above the healthy range (BMI below 27) on a low-calorie diet programme. This involved stopping taking glucose-lowering tablets and instead working with experts to follow a low-calorie died including formula meal replacements and non-starchy vegetables. This lasted two to four weeks, before a four to six week period where each participant gradually reintroduced normal foods.
This cycle was repeated up to three times until those taking part had lost between 10 and 15% of their body weight. Then the research team investigated to see where diabetes had been put into remission. They found this was the case for 70% of those taking part.
Chris Askew, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "Building on the pioneering DiRECT trial, this game-changing study from Professor Taylor and his team advances our understanding of why type 2 diabetes develops, and what can be done to treat it.
“Our ambition is for as many people as possible to have the chance to put their type 2 diabetes into remission and live well for longer. The findings of ReTUNE potentially take us a significant step closer to achieving this goal by showing that remission isn’t only possible for people of certain body weights."
