The international consensus definition of type 2 diabetes remission is an HbA1c below 6.5% measured at least three months after stopping all glucose-lowering drugs. It is a description of current state, not a cure: relapse is common, especially in people with long-standing disease.
People in remission still carry the microvascular and cardiovascular legacy of their earlier hyperglycaemia. Retinal screening, foot checks, kidney monitoring and cardiovascular risk management should continue, and HbA1c should be checked at least yearly so that relapse is caught early.
- Confirm remission with an HbA1c below 6.5% at least three months after the last glucose-lowering drug.
- Keep the diabetes code on the record so screening recalls are not lost.
- Continue retinal screening, foot checks and urine albumin testing.
- Check HbA1c at least once a year to catch relapse.
- Keep blood pressure and lipid treatment going; remission does not remove cardiovascular risk.
Why it matters
Patients often hear remission as cured and stop attending, which is exactly when relapse and retinopathy go unnoticed.
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