Diabetes Remission
Blood glucose returning to non-diabetic levels without glucose-lowering medication.
Last revised
Key takeaways
- Usual definition: HbA1c below 48 mmol/mol for at least 3 months without medication
- Most associated with: substantial weight loss, often 10-15kg
- Most useful single change: Ask your GP whether a remission programme is available locally.
- Commonest mistake: Attempting a very low calorie diet without medical supervision.
- See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to get help" below apply to you.
Why it matters
It is achievable for some people with type 2 diabetes, particularly early after diagnosis, and it is not the same as being cured.
The numbers, in one place
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Usual definition | HbA1c below 48 mmol/mol for at least 3 months without medication |
| Most associated with | substantial weight loss, often 10-15kg |
| Most likely | within the first few years after diagnosis |
| Monitoring continues | annual checks remain necessary |
| NHS programme | a low-calorie diet programme is available in some areas |
What helps
- Ask your GP whether a remission programme is available locally
- Understand that any programme should be medically supervised
- Continue annual checks, including eyes and feet, after remission
- Treat remission as ongoing management rather than a finish line
What to avoid
- Attempting a very low calorie diet without medical supervision
- Stopping medicines yourself as glucose improves
- Assuming remission means checks are no longer needed
Where to go next
- Popular Beliefs About Diabetes Remission, and What Is Actually Published
- Diabetes Remission for Beginners: Where to Start
- Type 2 Diabetes: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
- Prediabetes: Sorting the Evidence From the Noise
When to get help
Never stop or reduce diabetes medication without medical advice — doses need adjusting as glucose falls, particularly insulin and sulfonylureas, to avoid hypoglycaemia. Seek urgent help for symptoms of very high or very low glucose. Remission can be lost, so report rising glucose promptly.
Where this comes from
- Diabetes UK — remission
- NICE — Type 2 diabetes in adults: management
How this page was put together
Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.
Medical disclaimer
This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.