Editorial
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Diabetes. Jul 15, 2024; 15(7): 1390-1393
Published online Jul 15, 2024. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v15.i7.1390
Diabetes remission and nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease
Wen-Jun Wu
Wen-Jun Wu, Department of Endocrinology, Jinshan Branch of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, Shanghai 201500, China
Author contributions: Wu WJ reviewed the literature and wrote the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There are no potential conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Wen-Jun Wu, MD, Adjunct Associate Professor, Chief Doctor, Department of Endocrinology, Jinshan Branch of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, No. 147 Jiankang Road, Zhujing Town, Jinshan District, Shanghai 201500, China. wuwenjung@163.com
Received: January 22, 2024
Revised: March 13, 2024
Accepted: April 9, 2024
Published online: July 15, 2024
Processing time: 168 Days and 2.8 Hours
Abstract

This editorial focuses on the relationship between nonalcoholic fatty pancreas disease (NAFPD) and the development and remission of type 2 diabetes (T2D). NAFPD is characterized by intrapancreatic fatty deposition associated with obesity and not associated with alcohol abuse, viral infections, and other factors. Ectopic fat deposition in the pancreas is associated with the development of T2D, and the underlying mechanism is lipotoxic β-cell dysfunction. However, the results on the relationship between intrapancreatic fat deposition (IPFD) and β-cell function are conflicting. Regardless of the therapeutic approach, weight loss improves IPFD, glycemia, and β-cell function. Pancreatic imaging is valuable for clinically monitoring and evaluating the management of T2D.

Keywords: Diabetes remission; Type 2 diabetes; Pancreatic fat content; β cell function; Weight loss

Core Tip: Excess fat in the pancreas impairs β-cell function. The remission of type 2 diabetes and the improvement of β-cell function are achieved by decreasing intrapancreatic fat deposition during weight loss.