You've just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and handed a prescription for diabetes pills (e.g., metformin) to help lower your blood glucose. You might want to ask for insulin instead.

A new study by Chinese researchers reveals early intensive insulin therapy used to stabilize blood glucose immediately after diagnosis may trigger a more lengthy remission of type 2 diabetes. Between 2004-2006, 382 patients newly diagnosed with type 2 were randomly given daily insulin infusions via a pump, insulin shots or diabetes pills to lower their high blood glucose. Intensive insulin therapy was much more effective at lowering/stabilizing blood glucose levels within the first days of diagnosis. Insulin infused via a pump was the most impressive.

But what really has diabetes experts buzzing were subsequent remission rates. After two weeks of normal blood sugars, treatment with insulin or pills was terminated and patients were asked to exercise, follow an appropriate diet and maintain their weight to control the disease. A year later, patient remission rates were analyzed. A staggering 51 percent of those who had received insulin infusions and 45 percent of those who received insulin injections were still in remission. Only 27 percent of patients who had taken oral meds were in remission.

Wow -- nearly double the remission rate with intensive insulin therapy up front versus that vial of diabetes pills. Somehow, some way, early, intensive insulin therapy may have a restorative effect on insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. One diabetes expert called the research 'provocative' -- keep in mind, right now standard type 2 treatment in the U.S. prescribes insulin as a last resort.