Lifestyle interventions targeting weight loss can improve glucose metabolism and induce remission in individuals with impaired glucose tolerance. Findings presented at EASD 2025 report that long-term remission significantly lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study enrolled 505 participants with impaired glucose tolerance at baseline. The lifestyle intervention lasted on average four years, and participants were followed for up to 25 years (median 8 years). Remission was defined as normalization of glucose tolerance. Predictors of remission, including weight loss, reductions in waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter, improved insulin sensitivity, and recovery of first-phase insulin secretion, were analyzed.

Remission rates were 13% at year one, 12% at year three, and 11% at the first post-intervention follow-up. Participants achieving remission had substantially lower cumulative risk of type 2 diabetes, with hazard ratios of 0.41, 0.40, and 0.20 at the respective evaluation points.

These results indicate that multifactorial lifestyle interventions, particularly those promoting weight loss and enhanced insulin function, can normalize glucose tolerance long-term and provide durable protection against type 2 diabetes.