{"id":666,"date":"2024-08-27T14:26:03","date_gmt":"2024-08-27T14:26:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.reflexmd.com\/?p=666"},"modified":"2025-11-14T15:51:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T20:51:24","slug":"can-glp-1s-help-reverse-diabetes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.reflexmd.com\/blog\/glp-1\/can-glp-1s-help-reverse-diabetes\/","title":{"rendered":"Can GLP-1s Help Reverse Diabetes?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Of the 38 million Americans who have diabetes, the vast majority have type 2, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/a>. It\u2019s a condition in which your body may not make enough insulin or use it well, resulting in high blood sugar\u2014and that can cause a host of health problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main aim of diabetes treatment is to lower blood sugar through a combination of diet, exercise, and medication, such as GLP-1, states the journal Diabetes Care<\/em><\/a>. With lower blood sugar, those with the disease can reap all sorts of health benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GLP-1 belongs to a newer class of prescription medications that lower blood sugar called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1<\/a>) receptor agonists. While other types of medications can lower blood sugar, says the American Diabetes Association (ADA)<\/a>, GLP-1 can also support weight loss and protect against heart and kidney damage. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Living with diabetes?\u00a0Chat with a ReflexMD Wellness Advisor<\/a>\u00a0to discover how GLP-1 can help<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of these additional benefits, there\u2019s little debate that GLP-1 is a gamechanger in treating type 2 diabetes.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about GLP-1 for reversing diabetes? Does the medication instantly allow you to drop all the weight you want and magically reverse type 2 diabetes, as some social media posts would lead you to believe? In a word: no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take a look at these and other myths about GLP-1, along with some facts that spell out the reality about GLP-1 those who have type 2 diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #1: You can cure type 2 diabetes with GLP-1<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact: <\/strong>You manage type 2 diabetes. You don\u2019t cure it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While medications that lower blood sugar, such as GLP-1, don\u2019t cure or reverse type 2 diabetes, they are a key part of a treatment plan for the disease. Lowering blood sugar helps prevent diabetes-related complications, such as nerve pain, vision problems, and chronic kidney disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diabetes is a chronic disease, so the term \u2018cure\u2019 is misleading. (A chronic disease is an ongoing condition that lasts a year or more and requires ongoing medical treatment or limits activities of daily living, says the CDC<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGLP-1 can very much help manage diabetes, but I wouldn\u2019t use the word \u2018cure,\u2019\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myth #2: GLP-1 alone is all you need to treat type 2 diabetes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Fact:<\/strong> A holistic type 2 diabetes treatment plan includes a healthy diet and exercise in addition to medication, like GLP-1, to lower blood sugar, according to the ADA<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a myth that GLP-1 is going to cure everything and that you don\u2019t have to do anything else on top of it,\u201d says Rachel Goldberg, a therapist based in Studio City, California. Rather than thinking of GLP-1 as a cure-all, Rachel encourages her clients who have type 2 diabetes and take GLP-1 to think of the medication as \u201can effective tool in your tool belt to help you manage diabetes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe body is a system,\u201d says Evan Sisson, PharmD, a professor at the VCU School of Pharmacy in Richmond, Virginia. \u201cWhat you eat and how much you eat make a difference. Getting adequate sleep makes a difference. Being active makes a difference\u2014and it all works together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n