More needs to be done in Asian diabetic population to design a culturally adaptable lifestyle intervention: Expert

More needs to be done in the Asian diabetic population to design a more socially and culturally adaptable lifestyle intervention, according to Dr. Hema Venkatraman, consultant endocrinologist and medical advisor, Practo Transform.

Dr Venkatraman further informed that diabetes remission as a diabetes management pathway is a relatively new concept. The DIRECT trial in 2017 for the first time, gave proof of principle that with calorie restriction and weight loss, there was a resultant fat loss in the liver and pancreas. This resulted in diabetes remission, i.e. blood sugars in the normal range without medications.

“Several nations have now implemented this in their national diabetes management strategy especially for people with a short history of diabetes (i.e. less than 6 years),” Dr. Venkatraman added.

“Practo Transform is a habit change journey which includes sustainable healthy eating and fitness habits, which are culturally adapted to people with diabetes (PWD) with sensitivity and personalised with high touch point care (for e.g. rice eaters from the south continue to enjoy their rice). Transform uses a healthy eating plate, using the “plate method” as recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), also fondly called the “T plate” by the core team and PWD, and avoids fad foods or not easily available foods. With close to 500 PWD in the programme, Transform has achieved close to 1.5% reduction in HbA1c, an average weight loss of 8 to10 kg in 6 months,” Dr. Venkatraman explained.

She further explained that over a third of our patients (35%) have achieved diabetes remission in 6 months’ time, which is comparable to the DIRECT trial results, which used a more intensive diet replacement with only shakes and soups. This culturally tailored diet strategy using locally available, regional foods appears to be more acceptable and sustainable as a diabetes management tool.

Aged 40, Navdeep Tanwar, an event management professional says, “Addressing my diabetic condition became a now or never situation for me given how it was affecting my life. Facing the reality of a diabetic foot operation left me in a state of shock. After exploring various programmes, I found what I was looking for in Transform. I began my journey late October last year, and within 15 days, I bid farewell to insulin. This was a significant achievement for me considering I used to take it thrice a day. The introduction of a balanced diet through Transform was a game-changer. Since I joined the programme, I lost almost 25kgs while my HbA1c levels dropped from 9.6 to 6.8. This lifestyle shift not only kept my diabetes in check but also ingrained the profound importance of overall well-being.”

Talking about her experience, Sonakshi Kaushik, a 32-year-old professional says, “Through Transform, I embarked on a journey to conquer diabetes with tailored workouts, lifestyle changes and a balanced diet. The outcome was a reduction in HbA1c to 7.8, a clear testament to the programme’s effectiveness. Transform shattered all my preconceived notions about diabetes, particularly the myth that it meant limiting my food choices. The impact I witnessed not only inspired me but my entire family to adopt a medication-free and healthy lifestyle.”

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