How Do We Define Cure of Diabetes?

• DOI: 10.2337/dc09-9036
• Publication Date: 2009-10-29T16:49:49Z
• Authors: John B. Buse; Sonia Caprio; William T. Cefalu; Antonio Ceriello; Stefano Del Prato; Silvio E. Inzucchi; Sue McLaughlin; Gordon L. Phillips; R. Paul Robertson; Francesco Rubino; Richard Kahn; M. Sue Kirkman
• Keywords: Blood Glucose; Consensus; Reviews/Commentaries/ADA Statements; Health Status; Remission Induction; United States; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1; 0302 clinical medicine; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Reference Values; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Societies, Medical

The mission of the American Diabetes Association is “to prevent and cure diabetes to improve lives all people affected by diabetes.” Increasingly, scientific medical articles (1) commentaries (2) about interventions use terms “remission” “cure” as possible outcomes. Several approved or experimental treatments for type 1 2 (e.g., pancreas islet transplants, immunomodulation, bariatric/metabolic surgery) are curative intent have been portrayed in media a cure. However, defining remission not straightforward it may seem. Unlike “dichotomous” diseases such many malignancies, defined hyperglycemia, which exists on continuum be impacted over short time frame everyday treatment events (medications, diet, activity, intercurrent illness). distinction between successful blurred case diabetes. Presumably improved normalized glycemia must part definition Glycemic measures below diagnostic cut points can occur with ongoing medications antihyperglycemic drugs, immunosuppressive after transplant), major efforts at lifestyle change, history surgery, procedures (such repeated replacements endoluminal devices). Do we patients normal glycemic measures, regardless how this achieved?

A consensus group comprised experts pediatric adult endocrinology, education, transplantation, metabolism, (for another perspective) hematology-oncology met June 2009 discuss these issues. considered wide variety questions, including whether ever accurate say that chronic illness cured; what definitions management, remission, might be; goals managing comorbid conditions revert those without if someone …