Abstracts

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is a highly prevalent metabolic condition with significant long-term health risks. First-line therapy for managing diabetes includes pharmaceuticals alongside nutritional, physical activity, and weight management interventions. However, some patients do not adhere to these recommendations or decline them altogether. This case report aims to document a case in which non-pharmacological treatment had a beneficial impact on severe uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. The subject is an unmedicated 59-year-old male patient with a reported 15-year history of uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. He presented with physical symptoms (fatigue, cravings, polyuria), signs of end-organ damage (neuropathy, retinopathy), and baseline labs indicative of severe glycemic dysregulation including an elevated fasting glucose and an elevated HbA1c. Despite the practitioner recommending pharmaceuticals as per clinical practice guidelines, the patient opted for non-pharmacological naturopathic interventions. Individualized nutritional modifications, increased physical activity, and two herbal-nutrient supplements were recommended. Over 4 months, the patient’s diabetic symptoms improved alongside a corresponding significant improvement in lab markers (2.0% reduction in HbA1c from 10.1% to 8.1%; 5.7 mmol/L reduction in fasting glucose from 15.9 mmol/L to 10.2 mmol/L). This case demonstrates a significant improvement in symptoms and laboratory markers of glycemic regulation following 4 months of a multimodal, non-pharmacological treatment approach for a patient with uncontrolled diabetes who declined pharmacotherapy. This case adds to a body of literature suggesting that further research investigating non-pharmacological treatment options for managing diabetes is warranted.

DOI link: https://doi.org/10.54434/candj.172