The effectiveness of lifestyle interventions for diabetes remission on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

BACKGROUND: Conventional wisdom affirmed that diabetes was irreversible, but current research shows that lifestyle interventions may achieve diabetes remission among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Recently, many original studies have examined the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions. However, great heterogeneity in intervention approaches resulted in inconsistent intervention effects. AIMS: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions for diabetes remission among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHODS: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, and Cochrane Library were searched for relevant articles from their inceptions to March 26, 2021. Reference lists and a relevant journal were searched manually as well. Both randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies were included. The quantitative data extracted from the selected studies included diabetes remission rate, weight, and quality of life score. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane and Joanna Briggs Institute's tool. RevMan version 5.3. was used to carry out the meta-analysis. RESULTS: This systematic review included 12 studies involving 3997 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Lifestyle interventions included in the studies were mainly divided into diet-only interventions and diet combined with physical activity interventions. Among them, there were three types of diet: (1) low-energy diet, (2) low carbohydrate diet, and (3) Mediterranean diet. Moderate-intensity aerobic and resistance physical activity, walking, and maintaining habitual physical activity were the three types of physical activity interventions employed in the included studies. The results indicated that lifestyle interventions were effective for achieving diabetes remission, reducing weight, and improving quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Lifestyle interventions were associated with significant effects on diabetes remission, reducing weight, and improving quality of life. As an important part of lifestyle interventions, diet and physical activity have a significant effect on blood glucose and weight control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is therefore suggested that the contents of lifestyle interventions should focus on diet and physical activity.