SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 20, 2025 — Professor An Chiying and her medical team at Shenzhen Hengsheng Hospital in China recently announced a significant achievement: since June 2024, they have successfully enabled 24 patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) to stop insulin therapy. This was achieved through Holistic Integrative Medicine (HIM), an optimized approach combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine, leading to a functional cure. The longest period of insulin discontinuation has reached 14 months. This breakthrough offers new hope for T1DM treatment globally and marks a notable advancement in integrated Chinese and Western medicine for autoimmune conditions.
Breakthrough Therapy: Precision Intervention through HIM
T1DM is an autoimmune disorder where beta cells are destroyed, resulting in a complete lack of insulin secretion. Conventional medical understanding dictates that patients require lifelong insulin injections. However, Professor An’s team utilized the HIM model, which integrates holistic traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), orthomolecular medicine, functional medicine, and lifestyle medicine, focusing on immune blockade and metabolic balance. This, combined with endocrinology-specialized precision remote digital healthcare, successfully restored islet function, allowing patients to discontinue insulin.
The core of this treatment protocol involves multidisciplinary collaboration, including: precision diagnostics using mass spectrometry platforms to identify the immunological causes of T1DM for targeted etiological treatment; immune regulation through molecular nutrition and TCM to modulate abnormal immune responses and lessen autoimmune attacks on pancreatic islet cells; metabolic repair by improving the body’s microenvironment and promoting islet function recovery via TCM acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutritional interventions; and precision monitoring that employs artificial intelligence to dynamically analyze patients’ blood glucose and immune markers, enabling personalized adjustments to treatment strategies. Patients typically require only 3 to 5 days of hospitalization before discharge.
Clinical Data: 24 Patients Discontinued Insulin Therapy
Over a two-year clinical observation period, the team intervened with 70 T1DM patients, of whom 24 patients (34%) completely discontinued insulin use. These patients maintained stable blood glucose levels (HbA1c < 7%) and exhibited significant recovery of islet function, as confirmed by C-peptide testing. Currently, these patients only require dietary management and regular follow-up, without relying on exogenous insulin.
Professor An Chiying emphasized, “Functional cure refers to the partial restoration of islet function sufficient to meet normal metabolic demands, achieved through immune blockade, intestinal mucosal repair, and gut microbiota reconstruction. Patients diagnosed early with T1DM who have a C-peptide level above 0.5 ng/ml can stop insulin, while those with insufficient islet function can significantly reduce insulin dosage once blood glucose levels are stabilized.”
National Academician’s Evaluation: Pioneering a New Treatment Paradigm
Academician Fan Daiming of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and a pioneer of HIM in China commented, “The results achieved by this Chinese team challenge the traditional view that T1DM requires lifelong medication. The synergistic effects of HIM deserve the attention of peers worldwide and open a new clinical treatment paradigm for T1DM.”
Background
There are approximately 9 million T1DM patients globally. Traditional treatment costs exceed RMB 10,000 annually, and patient prognoses often remain unsatisfactory with uncontrollable risks of complications. The widespread adoption of HIM health management programs could significantly reduce both the financial and health burdens on patients.
Contact Information: Shenzhen Hengsheng Hospital Chronic Disease Integrative Medicine Center/Diabetes Naturopathic Center.
Shenzhen Hengsheng Hospital Chronic Disease Integrative Medicine Center/Diabetes Naturopathic Center
Company Name: ShanghaiFosunGroup-ShenzhenHangSengHospital
Contact Person: Anchiying
Phone: +86-755-27796031
City: Shenzhen
Website:
Email: kefu@hsyy.com.cn
