Study: Obesity surgery can help prevent diabetes

August 22, 2012 by MARILYNN MARCHIONE in Diabetes

Doctors are reporting a new benefit from weight-loss surgery — preventing diabetes. Far fewer obese people developed that disease if they had stomach-shrinking operations rather than usual care to try to slim down, a large study in Sweden found.

The results, published in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, are provoking fresh debate about when adjustable bands and other bariatric procedures should be offered.

It is "provocative and exciting" that surgery can prevent , but it is "impractical and unjustified" to think of doing it on millions of obese adults, Dr. Danny Jacobs, a Duke University surgeon, wrote in a commentary in the medical journal.

Dr. Mitchell Roslin, bariatric surgery chief at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, disagreed.

"If surgery is the only treatment we have, we have to accept the cost ramifications of that" and give up "the naive notion" that we can just teach severely obese people how to lose weight, said Roslin, who consults for some makers of bariatric surgery equipment.

Millions of Americans have Type 2 diabetes brought on by obesity. Earlier this year, two studies showed that obesity surgery can reverse diabetes and keep it away for many years, possibly for good.

The new study went a step further, to see if it could prevent diabetes in the first place among people who are obese.

Researchers led by Dr. Lars Sjöström of Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden, tracked 1,658 patients who had bariatric surgery — mostly bands and stomach stapling — and 1,771 similar patients who just got usual care and counseling on how to lose weight.

None had diabetes when the study began. After about 10 years on average among those still in the study, 392 developed diabetes in the usual care group versus 110 in the surgery group. Researchers calculated that surgery had reduced the odds of getting diabetes by 78 percent.

That is "absolutely remarkable," said Dr. Philip Schauer, a Cleveland Clinic surgeon who also has consulted for some surgery equipment makers and thinks surgery should be used more often for obesity.

costs $15,000 to $25,000. Proponents note that complications of diabetes and obesity are expensive, too, especially if dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed.

The government recently lowered the weight limits for gastric band for those with diabetes or heart disease.

More information:
Weight-loss info: win.niddk.nih.gov

Body Mass Index calculator: www.nhlbisupport.c… /bminojs.htm

New England Journal: www.nejm.org

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

5 /5 (1 vote)  

Rank 5 /5 (1 vote)
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Youth with type 2 diabetes at much higher risk for heart, kidney disease

The news about youth and diabetes keeps getting worse. The latest data from the national TODAY diabetes study shows that children who develop Type 2 diabetes are at high risk to develop heart, kidney and eye problems faster ...

Diabetes created 8 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Type 2 diabetes progresses faster in kids, study finds

(HealthDay)—Type 2 diabetes is more aggressive in children than adults, with signs of serious complications seen just a few years after diagnosis, new research finds.

Diabetes created 23 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Statin use is linked to increased risk of developing diabetes, warn researchers

Treatment with high potency statins (especially atorvastatin and simvastatin) may increase the risk of developing diabetes, suggests a paper published today in BMJ.

Diabetes created May 23, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Diabetes' genetic underpinnings can vary based on ethnic background, studies say

Ethnic background plays a surprisingly large role in how diabetes develops on a cellular level, according to two new studies led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

Diabetes created May 23, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Fish oil supplements may help fight against Type 2 diabetes

Widely-used fish oil supplements modestly increase amounts of a hormone that is associated with lower risk of diabetes and heart disease, according to a study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of ...

Diabetes created May 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 1


Researchers identify first drug targets in childhood genetic tumor disorder

Two mutations central to the development of infantile myofibromatosis (IM)—a disorder characterized by multiple tumors involving the skin, bone, and soft tissue—may provide new therapeutic targets, according to researchers ...

Engineered cytomegalovirus protects monkeys from HIV equivalent

(Medical Xpress)—A new study by researchers in the US has shown that an ancient virus can be modified to help in the fight against the simian immunodeficiency virus SIV, which is the equivalent in monkeys ...

Hormone levels may provide key to understanding psychological disorders in women

Women at a particular stage in their monthly menstrual cycle may be more vulnerable to some of the psychological side-effects associated with stressful experiences, according to a study from UCL.

Going live: Immune cell activation in multiple sclerosis

Biological processes are generally based on events at the molecular and cellular level. To understand what happens in the course of infections, diseases or normal bodily functions, scientists would need to ...

Driving and hands-free talking lead to spike in errors, study shows

Talking on a hands-free device while behind the wheel can lead to a sharp increase in errors that could imperil other drivers on the road, according to new research from the University of Alberta.

Pollen count apps for smartphones are nothing to sneeze at

Kate O'Reilly's spring allergy survival kit includes the usual stuff - nasal sprays, allergy pills and a box of tissues. This season, she's added a new weapon to her line of defense: an app on her smartphone.