A personalized journey to remission from type 2 diabetes

This article is adapted from the sixth edition of the Foundation’s magazine.

At the EPIC Centre’s Sunlife Diabetes Prevention and Remission Clinic, people living with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes can get personalized support that combines medical care, nutritional advice, and a physical activity program.

Valérie Dionne is a nurse practitioner specializing in cardiology and endocrinology who has worked at the Montreal Heart Institute for over 15 years. She plays a central role at the clinic to help people with the disease better understand their condition while supporting them on their journey to remission.

Type 2 diabetes occurs gradually, often over years. Once it develops, the pancreas compensates for high blood sugar levels by secreting extra insulin. This mechanism weakens over time, which leads to increased visceral fat and insulin resistance. The pancreas then becomes overwhelmed, blood sugar levels rise, and diabetes sets in.

As chronic high blood sugar levels gradually damage blood vessels and ultimately the entire cardiovascular system, cardiovascular disease is the main complication and leading cause of death among people living with type 2 diabetes

However, dietary changes and physical activity are key treatment strategies to improve metabolic health and reduce cardiovascular risk. Science has shown that some of these individuals can indeed go into remission from type 2 diabetes, as the pancreas has the capacity to regenerate. However, people need support along their remission journey, as type 2 diabetes shows up differently depending on each person’s profile.

The clinic aims to put people on a path to diabetes remission. The aim is to improve people’s overall health and support their efforts in a realistic and appropriate way. “Remission is not a destination but a journey,” explained Valérie. “First, we have an honest discussion about recognized, effective strategies for cardiovascular health. We then work with each person to help them achieve the best goals for their situation.”

For this specialized nurse practitioner, remission is a target that gives people a sense of control and lets them become active partners in their own health. Any ground covered along the way represents significant gains. “Even if they don’t meet the criteria for remission, the process is never a failure. Any improvements they make are real and significant for their health,” she added.

Each journey usually begins with an initial meeting with Valérie. She takes time to explain the causes of prediabetes or type 2 diabetes as well as the areas of life that can be changed. The program lasts about one year.

Patients are monitored by an interdisciplinary team that includes not only a specialized nurse practitioner but also a nutritionist and a kinesiologist. To complement this approach, a social worker leads group workshops that get people to work on the psychological aspects of managing their condition.

The results are clear: 40% of patients with prediabetes achieve full remission, and 20% of newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes return to normal glucose without medication after 6 months.

Claude Brillon came to the clinic after suffering a cardiac event. Determined to recover, he made remission a challenge and became fully invested in his journey. After working on his body composition to increase muscle mass, his results exceeded expectations. By the end of the program, Claude had achieved his goal.

He remembers the compassionate support he received and stressed the importance of the bond he formed with the clinic team along with the constant feeling that his health was in good hands. “Valérie was a great source of information. She taught me things that helped me better understand the challenge I was facing. Throughout the program, I could tell she really wanted to help me achieve my goal, and that contributed to my success.”

Compassion is at the heart of Valérie’s care approach, which focuses on optimizing overall health beyond diabetes. For her, providing support also means helping patients cope with the emotional impact of their diagnosis and encouraging them to independently continue their new lifestyle habits over the long term.

Changing your lifestyle can be challeng ing, especially if you’ve spent years being sedentary and eating processed foods and added sugars.

“It’s never too late to improve your health. Even at the age of 70 or 80, you can make changes and see the benefits,” concluded Valérie.

Her message is both simple and encouraging: When people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes get tailored supports and practical tools—such as those provided at the clinic—from the moment they are diagnosed, they can avoid cardiovascular complications

If Valérie’s heart could speak, here’s what it would say:

“I worked in acute care at the Montreal Heart Institute for over 10 years, and I loved being in an innovative environment that uses cutting-edge technology and new medication approaches. I feel very fortunate to now be at the EPIC Centre, where we apply the same spirit of innovation and painstaking scientific work to prevent disease and optimize cardiovascular health. The Diabetes Prevention and Remission Clinic is a perfect example of this approach.”