Diabetes remission strategies in published and ongoing randomized controlled trials: A scoping review of present and emerging intervention types, remission definitions, and weight loss targets.

Evidence on type 2 diabetes remission strategies is rapidly evolving across surgical, behavioural, and pharmacological approaches. This scoping review comprehensively assessed published and registered/ongoing trials investigating remission strategies, characterizing intervention types, remission definitions, and the use of weight loss as a target. MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Register, and major trial registries were searched through January 2026 for trials on remission in adults with type 2 diabetes. Two reviewers independently screened studies and extracted data. Trials were categorized by intervention type (surgical, health behavioural, pharmacological, combination), remission definition, and presence of weight loss targets. We identified 71 published and 52 ongoing trials. Most published trials were surgical (41%), followed by health behavioural (32%), combination (10%), and pharmacological (17%) interventions. Most ongoing trials were health behavioural (54%). Ongoing studies show an increased use of a recognized definition (n = 46, 88% vs n = 51, 72%) with more identifying remission as the primary outcome (54% vs 41%) and sustaining focus on weight loss as a target (89% vs 88%). Evidence on remission strategies with recognized definitions will nearly double, largely through behavioural interventions retaining a weight loss focus. Remission guidelines will need to balance these emerging strategies with weight and diabetes stigma concerns.