Study Shows Safe Diabetes Medication Reduction in Primary Care

Research finds deprescribing glucose-lowering drugs is feasible when lifestyle changes are incorporated into routine visits.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 12:06am

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A new study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine provides real-world evidence that deprescribing glucose-lowering medications is both feasible and safe for patients with type 2 diabetes when they receive lifestyle-informed care in primary care settings. The retrospective chart review examined electronic health records from 650 adults, finding that 6.3% of patients were able to safely reduce or discontinue diabetes drugs following documented improvements in weight and blood glucose levels.

Why it matters

These findings suggest that when lifestyle medicine principles are integrated into routine primary care, medication reduction can emerge as a meaningful, patient-centered outcome. If similar results were replicated nationally, even a 6% deprescribing rate could translate to millions of patients reducing their medication burden, lowering treatment costs, and decreasing the risk of side effects.

The details

The study used a structured deprescribing framework to identify 41 confirmed cases where diabetes medications were safely reduced or discontinued. Among patients with follow-up data, clinically meaningful improvements were observed, including an average 2.2 kg/m² decrease in BMI and a 50.5 mg/dL drop in blood glucose levels. The most common medication changes were metformin dose reduction (34%), metformin discontinuation (19.5%), and insulin dose reduction (19.5%). While three adverse events were noted, investigators determined none were attributable to the deprescribing process within the lifestyle-informed primary care context.

  • The retrospective chart review examined electronic health records from 2021 to 2025.

The players

Journal of Clinical Medicine

The peer-reviewed medical journal that published the study.

Gia Merlo, MD, MBA, MEd, DipABLM, FACLM

Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, who commented on the study's findings.

Micaela C. Karlsen, PhD, MSPH

Senior Director of Research and Quality at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, who discussed the implications of the study.

American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM)

The national medical professional society that advocates for and advances the field of lifestyle medicine.

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What they’re saying

“These findings add to a growing understanding of how deprescribing can be approached in primary care. They suggest that when lifestyle medicine is incorporated into routine care, medication reduction may emerge as a meaningful, patient-centered outcome.”

— Gia Merlo, Professor, Department of Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine

“Future research can continue examining deprescribing outcomes following lifestyle medicine–informed care. By adopting deprescribing protocols that respond to lifestyle‑driven improvements, we have an opportunity to further advance patient‑centered, evidence‑based care for chronic disease.”

— Micaela C. Karlsen, Senior Director of Research and Quality, American College of Lifestyle Medicine

What’s next

The researchers plan to further study the long-term outcomes and scalability of this lifestyle medicine-informed approach to deprescribing in primary care settings.

The takeaway

This study demonstrates that when lifestyle changes are incorporated into routine primary care visits, it can lead to safe reductions in diabetes medication burden for patients, potentially benefiting millions by lowering costs, side effects, and improving overall health outcomes.