Major Milestone: Chinese Expert Consensus on Remission of Type 2 Diabetes Officially Published

For a long time, diabetes has been regarded as a lifelong, progressive chronic disease. Once diagnosed, it was believed that patients must take glucose-lowering medications or use insulin for life to control blood sugar levels. In recent years, international treatment strategies for obese and overweight patients with early-stage type 2 diabetes have gradually shifted from pharmacological glycemic control to achieving diabetes remission through weight improvement. Chinese experts are also making efforts in this direction.

After nearly eight months of discussion and repeated revisions, the Chinese Expert Consensus on the Remission of Type 2 Diabetes (hereinafter referred to as the “Consensus”) was officially published simultaneously in the professional academic journals Chinese Journal of Diabetes and Chinese General Practice on September 30, 2021. The Consensus not only clearly defines the criteria for “diabetes remission,” but also provides a comprehensive analysis and elaboration of the clinical evidence, mechanisms, and specific methods for achieving diabetes remission, and on this basis, puts forward specific recommendations for the remission of type 2 diabetes. It should be noted that, as the Consensus Report: Definition and Interpretation of Remission of Type 2 Diabetes released by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in August recommended using the term “diabetes remission” to describe the state in which metabolic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes are sustainably improved to near-normal levels, the Chinese Expert Consensus on the Remission of Type 2 Diabetes is the same document as the Chinese Expert Consensus on the Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes, which was finalized by Chinese experts during the Peking University Diabetes Forum in May 2021.

At the finalization meeting for the Consensus held in May, Professor Ji Linong, Director of the Department of Endocrinology at Peking University People’s Hospital, Director of the Peking University Diabetes Center, and former Vice President of the International Diabetes Federation, stated that the release of this Consensus would be a historic event, helping to accelerate a new movement focused on the management and “remission” of type 2 diabetes associated with high body weight. The Consensus should not merely represent the agreement of the few experts present, but must become a shared consensus and common practice among all physicians. Furthermore, it is hoped that this new movement will benefit at least 100,000 to 200,000 newly diagnosed patients with obesity-related type 2 diabetes in China within five years, providing them with lifelong benefits and yielding positive outcomes for their families and society.

Other experts involved in the development of the Consensus include Professor Zou Dajin from Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital, Professor Guo Xiaohui from Peking University First Hospital, Professor Sun Zilin from Zhongda Hospital Southeast University, Professor Zeng Longyi from the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, and Professor Tian Haoming from West China Hospital Sichuan University, among a total of 24 endocrinology and nutrition experts from across China. As one of the lead authors of the Consensus, Professor Zou Dajin, along with several other expert panel members, had previously actively collaborated with local stakeholders to implement services aimed at achieving diabetes remission. Professor Zou stated, “Helping patients achieve long-term remission, or even reversal, of diabetes reflects a profound commitment on the part of healthcare providers. Remission of type 2 diabetes enables patients to remain free from glucose-lowering medications for extended periods, comprehensively improves cardiovascular risk factors, and enhances confidence and well-being; therefore, it is increasingly gaining attention among scholars.” The development and promotion of the Consensus, led by Professor Ji Linong and Professor Zou Dajin, represent practical efforts to ensure that research benefits are made accessible to patients with diabetes as rapidly as possible.

JD Health supported the development of this Consensus and will continue to promote its widespread adoption. Meanwhile, physicians will provide diabetes remission services through the JD Health Diabetes Center. Zhao Xuming, General Manager of the Chronic Disease Medical Department at JD Health, stated, “As a socially responsible enterprise, JD Health aims to advance treatment and management concepts in the field of diabetes by supporting the Endocrinology Expert Group in formulating and promoting this Consensus. We seek to empower more clinicians to assist patients with early-stage type 2 diabetes in implementing effective lifestyle management, thereby enhancing patients’ well-being and confidence in overcoming the disease, and fostering the healthy development of the chronic disease management industry.”