[Medical Q&A] What is the weight control goal for patients with type 2 diabetes?

Author: Liu Bing, deputy chief physician, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University

Reviewer: Yuan Mingxia, Chief Physician, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University

Patients with type 2 diabetes are often overweight and obese. Obesity is closely related to insulin resistance, which affects blood sugar control in diabetes and further increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. The short-term weight loss goal for overweight and obese diabetic patients is to lose 5% to 10% of body weight within 3 to 6 months. When choosing hypoglycemic drugs, these patients should consider the effect of the drugs on body weight and try to reduce the use of hypoglycemic drugs that increase weight. Some patients may consider using weight loss drugs. Obese adult patients with type 2 diabetes should first adopt lifestyle and drug treatment. For those who fail to lose weight and have poor blood sugar control, metabolic surgery can also be considered.

At present, diabetes is still a long-term, chronic, and incurable disease. With the extension of the course of the disease, the gradual decline of pancreatic islet function and poor blood sugar control, the greatest harm to patients is various complications. In the management of diabetes, the patient's daily behavior and self-management ability are one of the key factors affecting the control of diabetes. For various complications of diabetes, we must keep in mind "early detection and early treatment".