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C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. President and Director, Joslin Diabetes Center:

Can type 2 diabetes be cured?

C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. President and Director, Joslin Diabetes Center:

A cure for type-two diabetes is partly an issue of prevention. Once a person has type-two diabetes, if they're very overweight, often actually, their weight reduction will literally cure the disease. Two thirds of the people who are probably taking medications who are very obese, if they became normal weight, or near normal weight, would require no medications except for the diet. So in a sense, they're partly cured. They're not, the genetic risk is still there, it hasn't gone away. And if they gain that weight back then absolutely they will show up with their diabetes again. And sometimes with aging, the diabetes will show up even if they stay thin.

C. Ronald Kahn, M.D. President and Director, Joslin Diabetes Center:

But it is very possible in many, many people to really make a big difference in their diabetes by this life style, the weight and exercise change. And for those that are on medications then of course, probably you're going to be on medications for most of your life.