Quick Facts

• Michael Collins reversed his type 2 diabetes after his doctor said he couldn’t promise he’d live two weeks or six months
• He lost 190 pounds and eliminated five diabetes medications through Virta Health’s program
• His A1c dropped from 8.1% to 5.0% – from diabetic to normal range

Michael Collins thought he was dying. In October 2020, the 53-year-old Alabama state government employee could barely walk or sleep. His doctor delivered crushing news: he couldn’t promise Collins would live two weeks or six months.

Collins had severe type 2 diabetes with an A1c of 8.1% – well above the 6.5% diagnosis threshold. He was taking multiple diabetes medications and experiencing heart palpitations and breathing problems.

Then Collins received an email from his employer’s wellness program. It offered access to Virta Health’s diabetes reversal program – a nutrition-based approach that promised to reverse diabetes without surgery or extreme exercise.

The results were dramatic. Collins lost 190 pounds over the following months. His A1c plummeted to 5.0% – within the normal, healthy range. He eliminated five diabetes medications completely.

The Science Behind Diabetes Reversal

Virta’s approach focuses on personalized nutrition plans and one-on-one support rather than medication management. The program guarantees specific outcomes: at least a one-point A1c reduction, 40% of participants eliminating diabetes medications, and 5% weight loss.

Recent five-year data shows the approach works long-term. Patients cut total medications in half while maintaining blood sugar improvements. Half of those taking insulin no longer needed it. Weight loss exceeded FDA-approved drug benchmarks by 50% even after five years.

A third of patients reversed their diabetes at the five-year mark. Retention rates hit 72% between years two and five – far above the National Diabetes Prevention Program’s 13% retention at just one year.

Expanding Access

Collins’ story reflects a broader shift in diabetes treatment. Banner|Aetna recently reported that 800 patients eliminated 66% of their diabetes medications through similar programs. Among insulin users, 58% eliminated it completely.

Georgia’s State Health Benefit Plan launched its own diabetes reversal program in October. U-Haul employees achieved 83% insulin reduction in a 90-day pilot study.

The financial impact is substantial. The total cost of diagnosed diabetes reached $412.9 billion in 2022. Virta reports reducing medical prescription costs by more than 70% in the first year alone.

Collins went from facing death to reversing his diabetes entirely. His transformation demonstrates that type 2 diabetes reversal is possible through nutrition-based interventions – offering hope to the millions of Americans facing similar diagnoses.

Read more: A Doctor Told Him He Had 6 Months Left to Live. Then He Saved His Own Life.