Research

Energy balance

Sustained weight loss of at least 10% in the first year significantly reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease in individuals with type 2 diabetes, whereas weight fluctuation without sustained loss increases risk.

If you have type 2 diabetes, aim to lose at least 10% of your body weight within the first year through a structured lifestyle program. Crucially, focus on keeping that weight off. Avoiding the 'yo-yo' effect of gaining it back quickly is just as important as the initial loss for protecting your heart.

GoodQualifiesHIGH confidence
those who lost at least 10% of their body weight in the first year had a significant reduction (21%) in the incidence of cardiovascular disease... increasing weight variability was linked to a higher risk of MACE in those who received standard diabetes support and education.
Chih‐Yao Hsu et al. · Journal of Diabetes Investigation · 2024

Why this rating

Based on post-hoc analysis of a large randomized clinical trial (Look AHEAD) and corroborated by cohort studies, though post-hoc nature limits causal certainty compared to primary endpoints.

Source

Interplay of cardiovascular health and diabetes: Insights into weight management and risk reduction

Chih‐Yao Hsu et al. · Journal of Diabetes Investigation · 2024

DOI 10.1111/jdi.14164

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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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