Alistair’s story: taking part in diabetes research at the GP practice

Alistair Dewhirst from Devon took part in the Diamond Study (Dietary Approaches to the Management Of type 2 Diabetes) supported by the NIHR Research Delivery Network (RDN). Alistair was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes following blood tests taken after a bout of COVID-19 at the end of 2020. He was immediately prescribed treatment which involved taking a large number of tablets daily.  

So when he was called by Becky George, Research Nurse at Kingskerswell and Ipplepen Medical Practice, to see if he would consider taking part in a research study, Alistair was interested. He said: “I wasn’t really enjoying taking all the medication, and having seen the effect diabetes had had on my father, I was happy to get involved."

Sponsored by the University of Oxford and funded by the NIHR, the Diamond study is testing a special diet programme developed specifically for people with type 2 diabetes to help them achieve remission – where a person has normal or near normal blood glucose and no longer needs medicines for the disease.  

Alistair continued: “I started the Diamond study a year ago and touch wood, it has worked. I found the study to be really helpful, and I lost a lot of weight.”

Alistair has personal reasons for sticking with the diet. He said: “My father was very much the sort of person who would never say no to a cream cake, and he developed type 2 diabetes relatively young, in his 30s. In his later years he had a very hard time. He was injecting, and having hypos [short for hypoglycaemia, where blood sugar is low and needs to be treated quickly] all the time.

“It became very difficult, as well as having an impact on those around him. That was a great incentive for me to stick with this programme until I could see I was getting somewhere and now, I’m delighted to say I am in remission.”

For Alistair and others in a similar position, being in remission greatly improves the chances of avoiding long-term risks from diabetes to eyes, kidneys, heart, and brain. It also lowers blood pressure and reduces the need for blood pressure medication.

Diamond was made available to patients across the South West thanks to research-active GP practices.

Research Nurse Becky George said: “Alistair was the ideal patient to take part. He was extremely motivated and had everything to gain. Bringing his diabetes into remission was an amazing feat of strong will and perseverance, and his results are now inspiring other patients to makes these changes.”

The NIHR’s Be Part of Research is a free service that matches anyone interested in research to suitable studies. Visit Be Part Of Research to find out more.