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A long-term intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) focused on weight loss and physical activity significantly reduces the symptoms of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes, as measured by the Michigan Neuropathy Screening Instrument (MNSI) questionnaire.

For individuals with type 2 diabetes and excess weight, achieving and maintaining weight loss through diet and exercise can significantly reduce the symptoms of nerve pain and numbness associated with diabetic neuropathy. The benefits are linked to the amount of weight lost, suggesting that even modest, sustained weight loss efforts can protect nerve health over the long term.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
ILI resulted in a significant decrease in questionnaire-based DPN, which was associated with the magnitude of weight loss.
Diabetologia · 2017

Why this rating

Large multicenter randomized controlled trial (n=5145) with long-term follow-up (11-12 years).

Source

Effects of a long-term lifestyle modification programme on peripheral neuropathy in overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes: the Look AHEAD study

Diabetologia · 2017

DOI 10.1007/s00125-017-4253-z

rct · n=5145Cited 109×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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