New strategies to reduce weight in people with type 1 diabetes

This study investigated the effects of intensive multidisciplinary weight management (IMWM) in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and obesity. It was determined that IMWM resulted in significant weight loss, lower glucose levels, and reductions in total daily insulin dose in these patients.

T1D is treated with insulin, the hormone that lowers blood glucose. However, weight gain is a side effect of insulin treatment. Research estimates that about 50% of people with T1D are overweight or obese. IMWM has been found to lead to weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes, but the effects in those with T1D are still under investigation.

68 patients with T1D and obesity participated in a 12-week IMWM program, consisting of one two-hour session every week. They were given an exercise plan, a meal plan, and psychological support. They also switched medications that might cause weight gain (where possible) for ones that do not. These patients were compared to 68 other patients with T1D and obesity who received standard care (SC) for people with diabetes. Data was collected at the start of the study and after 1 year.

After 1 year, the IMWM group lost an average of 6.6kg (6.4% of their initial body weight). There was no weight change in the SC group. Total daily insulin dose was, on average, 5.9 units/day lower in the IMWM after 1 year. The total daily insulin dose did not change in the SC group. HbA1c levels (measures average blood glucose levels over the last 3 months) were reduces by an average of 0.4% in the IMWM group after 1 year, compared to when they started the study. There was no change in HbA1c in the SC group. However, after 1 year there was no significant difference in HbA1c levels between the IMWM and the SC groups.

The study concluded that, when compared to standard care, IMWM resulted in significant weight loss and reductions in total daily insulin dose in patients with T1D and obesity. HbA1c levels were also found to decrease in participants of the IMWM program.

This study examined a small number of participants, less than half of whom attended all 12 sessions of the IMWM program.
 

Discuss with your physician strategies to reduce weight.