 Type 2 Diabetes
What is it?
Type 2 diabetes is a long-term metabolic disorder where the body produces insulin, but resists it. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use sugar.4 Because of excess weight, obese individuals develop a resistance to insulin, which controls blood sugar. While type 2 diabetes may occur regardless of someone’s age, gender, or body mass, the disease tends to be more severe in the obese.
How is it affected by bariatric surgery?
Patients who had gastric bypass surgery had lower insulin resistance. Their risk for metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and a high amount of fats in the blood also decreased.5 In fact, a landmark study found that resolution of diabetes often occurred within days following gastric bypass surgery, even before marked weight loss was achieved.3
What success have patients found through bariatric surgery?
A recent meta-analysis showed 76.8 percent of gastric bypass patients found complete resolution of type 2 diabetes, and 86 percent found improvement or resolution.3 Many gastric bypass surgery patients with type 2 diabetes have demonstrated little or no need for continuing medication.6
________
References
3 Buchwald H, Avidor Y, Braunwald E, et al. Bariatric Surgery. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA 2004;292(14):1724-37.
4 American Diabetes Association. Type 2 Diabetes: Conditions, Treatments, Resources. [Online] 1 August 2005. <http://www.diabetes.org/type-2-diabetes.jsp>.
5 American Diabetes Association. The Link Between Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome. [Online] 1 August 2005. <http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-research/summaries/vasquez-obesity>.
6 Sampalis J, Liberman M, Auger S, et al. The impact of weight reduction surgery on health-care costs in morbidly obese patients. Obes Surg 2004;14:939-947. |
