Woman discusses insulin pen use with doctor.

Caregiver Questions: Can You Cure Diabetes?

If you care for someone with diabetes, you might wonder if it can ever be cured or reversed. Living with diabetes can involve: 

  • Blood sugar testing 
  • Medication
  • Insulin injections

Diabetes can lead to complications and interfere with quality of life. While it can’t exactly be cured, diabetes can be reversed depending on the type. Learning more about diabetes, blood sugar, treatments, and reversing the course of the disease will allow you to better care for your care recipient and take important steps for disease control and remission. 

Here, we explain: 

  • What you need to know about diabetes
  • Types of diabetes 
  • What causes type 2 diabetes
  • How to get closer to remission

Check here to see if you have free access to Trualta for more information on diabetes and caregiving. 

About Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic condition of high blood sugar (glucose) levels. The pancreas is an organ that makes insulin. Insulin is a hormone that controls blood glucose by signalling cells to take it up from the bloodstream. Insulin is responsible for keeping blood sugar levels stable. In someone with diabetes, either the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin or the body no longer responds well or at all to the insulin the pancreas produces. 

There are several types of diabetes:

Type 1 Diabetes

This is usually diagnosed in children who then live with it for their entire lives. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes patients produce little or no insulin. There is currently no cure for it. Patients must inject regular insulin to manage blood sugar levels. 

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition and develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin. With early lifestyle and clinical interventions, many individuals can successfully reverse type 2 diabetes. This is called diabetes remission rather than a cure. 

Prediabetes 

This is a stage of diabetes that occurs before a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. It is during this stage that it is easiest to achieve type 2 diabetes remission. 

Gestational Diabetes 

Gestational diabetes is diabetes that develops during pregnancy. While for many women, gestational diabetes resolves after giving birth, it increases their risk of developing diabetes later in life. 

Other Types Of Diabetes

There are also rare types of diabetes. For example, type 3c results from damage to the pancreas and late autoimmune diabetes in adults, which is late-onset type 1 diabetes. If your care recipient has one of these types, you can discuss treatment plans and the possibility of reversal with their doctor. 

Older couple checks blood sugar with glucose meter.


Curing Diabetes

Type 1 diabetes cannot generally be cured. The only possible way to cure it is with a pancreas transplant, which is a risky procedure with serious potential complications, like organ rejection. It’s reserved for patients with serious diabetes complications, like heart disease or kidney failure.

For type 2 diabetes, doctors talk about reversal or remission, which can be a lot like a cure. Remission requires lifestyle intervention and changes. Type 2 diabetes can recur if the patient goes back to unhealthy habits.

What Causes Type 2 Diabetes? 

Patients with type 2 diabetes may be able to achieve remission with the right treatments and lifestyle changes. To understand how to reverse type 2 diabetes, it’s important to understand what causes it. 

The underlying cause of type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. In other words, while the pancreas continues to make insulin, the body loses insulin sensitivity. As type 2 diabetes progresses from prediabetes, the pancreas makes more and more insulin to combat the loss of sensitivity and insulin resistance. 

Ultimately, the pancreas cannot make enough insulin to overcome resistance. There is typically no single cause of this insulin resistance, but many possible factors can be involved: 

  • Genetic factors that predispose you to loss of insulin sensitivity
  • Excess body fat, especially in the abdomen and around abdominal organs
  • A sedentary lifestyle
  • A poor diet high in simple carbohydrates and saturated fats
  • Chronic stress
  • Poor sleep
  • Certain medications, including corticosteroids
  • Hormonal disorders, including thyroid disorders or Cushing’s syndrome

How To Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Reversing type 2 diabetes requires working with your care recipient’s medical team for appropriate treatment and recommended lifestyle changes.

Diabetes Medications & Monitoring Blood Sugar

Medications can help patients with type 2 diabetes manage their condition. When patients combine medications with lifestyle changes, they can potentially reverse the condition.

Oral Medications

Oral diabetes medicines help people with type 2 diabetes maintain normal blood glucose levels. Different medications work in various ways: 

  • Biguanides lower the amount of glucose the liver releases into the bloodstream. Metformin is a biguanide that is the most commonly used and best-studied diabetes medication.
  • Sulfonylureas work by stimulating the pancreas to make and release more insulin.
  • Thiazolidinediones help improve cells’ insulin sensitivity. 
Remember: Regular blood glucose monitoring is a key component of using diabetes medications, as it provides important information about how treatments are working and whether adjustments should be made. 

Weight Loss

Weight loss is one of the most impactful lifestyle changes patients with type 2 diabetes can make to reverse the condition. Dietary changes and physical activity can help many patients lose weight and improve their condition. 

For those who struggle to lose weight, even with lifestyle changes, doctors may recommend additional medications or weight loss surgery. Newer medications that many people use for weight loss were actually developed to manage blood glucose. 

GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic mimic a natural hormone that triggers insulin release from the pancreas. It also blocks a hormone that releases blood sugar, slows stomach emptying, and helps you feel full. All of these effects help manage blood glucose levels, but also help most people lose weight. 

Healthy Diet

A healthy diet is a major factor in maintaining a healthy weight, and reversing diabetes. Here are some tips to help you help your care recipient eat better: 

  • Eat healthy meals at regular times to keep blood glucose levels stable. 
  • Choose complex carbohydrates, like fruits, non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and legumes. 
  • For protein, choose foods lower in saturated fat, like fish, chicken, and legumes. 
  • Eat high-fibre foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. 
  • Avoid simple carbohydrates, including sugary drinks, processed grains such as white rice or white pasta, and foods high in added sugar. 
  • Avoid highly processed foods, like canned soups, frozen pizzas, deli meats, and packaged snack foods. 
Expert Tip: Consider working with a dietician to create an individualized diet plan for your care recipient. They can help with food choices, meal planning, and portion sizes. 

The American Diabetes Association recommends using a simple diabetes plate to make healthy eating easier. The plate should be divided:

  • Half with non-starchy vegetables
  • One quarter with protein 
  • One quarter with carbohydrates

Regular Exercise

Along with a healthy diet and weight loss, regular exercise can also contribute to the reversal of diabetes. Here are some ways your care recipient can stick to regular exercise:

  • Finding a type of exercise they enjoy doing
  • Exercising with others to improve consistency and enjoyment 
Important: Talk to your care recipient’s medical team about how they can exercise safely, especially if they’ve not been exercising at all or have mobility or other health issues. 

Stress & Sleep Management

Stress and poor sleep can contribute to type 2 diabetes. If your care recipient feels stressed or doesn’t get enough sleep, they may turn to other unhealthy lifestyle habits. Stress might also directly impact diabetes by causing blood sugar spikes. 

To reduce stress or improve sleep, your care recipient can:

  • Start an exercise routine 
  • Try a soothing bedtime routine, such as listening to music or taking a warm bath, to help them relax and feel sleepy
  • Connect with a therapist for stress management strategies 
  • Talk to their medical team about stress management and sleep improvement options

Key Takeaways

While curing diabetes isn’t really possible, reversal is. If your care recipient is struggling with blood sugar and complications of type 2 diabetes, there are reversal steps they can try, such as:

  • Taking medication 
  • Maintaining a healthy weight
  • Eating a healthy diet 
  • Starting an exercise routine 
  • Managing stress 
  • Improving sleep

Your care recipient should always consult their doctor regularly to make sure their treatment plan is on track. 

Looking for more in-depth information about diabetes caregiving? Check to see if you have free access to Trualta.

References

  1. American Diabetes Association. (n.d.). Tips for eating well.
  2. Cleveland Clinic. (2023). Diabetes. 
  3. Cleveland Clinic. (2025). Type 2 diabetes.
  4. Mayo Clinic. (2025). Pancreas transplant.

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