November 2026

Commit to Remit – Type 2 Diabetes, That Is

With nearly 1 in 6 adults in the US having Type 2 diabetes (T2D) – otherwise known as age- or lifestyle-related diabetes (vs Type 1 or Juvenile diabetes) – it is endemic enough to warrant much study and efforts to reduce its impact and costs. Getting long-term blood sugar control (A1C) is a goal that can be achieved with weight loss (hence the popularity of weight loss meds such as Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.), lower-carb diets, increased physical activity, and pharmacological interventions. The question as to complete remission of the disease remains: can someone with T2D completely avoid glucose-lowering medications once they get their A1C below the 6.5% threshold?

A review of this question in Medscape Now (Oct. 2026) found, from a “meta-analysis of 18 nonsurgical randomized controlled trials …published between 2008 and 2025 …[there is] a higher likelihood of remission with non-pharmacological interventions … and with multimodal pharmacological interventions [diet and exercise] compared with control.” However, these approaches had lower remission rates at longer follow-up intervals, suggesting that more clinical attention be given to sustaining the efforts that got to remission.

Weight loss appears to be the “principal lever” as those who lost less than 10% of their starting weight had lower rates of remission than those who lost 10% – 19%: 5.4% vs 48.4%!

Plus, those on lower carb diets (25 – 30% of total calories) vs those on standard (45% – 60% carbs) diets had higher remission rates: 62.5% vs 35.3%. Aerobic training reduces A1C by 0.5 – 0.7 points and resistance training improves insulin sensitivity by 10 – 15%. Combined training yields even better results.

All this to say, you must commit to remit.

Breaking News: Exercise, Healthy Diet Reduce Disease Risk

A group of Brazilian researchers did a narrative review exploring various forms of physical activity as “one of the most important lifestyle choices for reducing disease risk and improving overall health”. They focused on how exercise improves physiology, neurochemical systems, trophic factors, myokines, and hormones, increases aerobic capacity, and reduces inflammation thereby enhancing quality of life (QoL).

Exercise induces structural and functional neuromuscular morphology, regeneration, and recovery after injury or from age-related damage. Hormones and other signaling mechanisms that contribute to mood stability and “positive effects on cognitive functions and hippocampus plasticity” are enhanced. Self-esteem and self-efficacy tend to improve in those who undertake a fitness regimen.

Studies show pre-natal exercise helps not just the mother but the fetus and early developmental years of the child. Among all the health benefits from cardiovascular fitness, some that receive less attention but are crucial for QoL and longevity are social well-being, better mood regulation, and reduced anxiety and depression in older adults.

The growing evidence for the role of skeletal muscle mass as a “reciprocal endocrine hub” capable of coordinating with the heart, brain, and gut reinforces the value of muscle strengthening exercises.

The metabolic benefits of muscle building exercises are cumulative and transient but able to “progressively shape systemic adaptation”. In sum, this review confirms what we already know – that exercise is medicine. If you’ll take it.      

Front. Sports Act. Living, Sept. 2026

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