Type 2 diabetes patients who underwent bariatric surgery showed long-term improvements in blood glucose levels compared to those who underwent lifestyle changes for the same, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health or NIH.
The study also highlighted that the patients who underwent bariatric surgery showed less dependence on diabetes medications and had higher rates of remission up to 12 years post-surgery.
The study funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases or NIDDK, is a follow-up of four randomized trials conducted from May 2007 to August 2013, to evaluate the effectiveness of bariatric surgery, popularly known as weight-loss surgery, on adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
“While there are many factors involved, and not all of them are completely understood, bariatric surgery typically results in greater weight loss that affects a person’s metabolic hormones, which improves the body’s response to insulin and ability to maintain healthy blood glucose levels,” Dr. Jean Lawrence, NIDDK project scientist commented.
The current study enrolled 262 participants from the original studies, out of which 166 had undergone bariatric surgery and the remaining 96 were randomized to the medical or lifestyle management group. All the participants were between the ages of 18 and 65 and suffered from obesity.
The primary endpoints, measured after 7 years, showed a 20 percent weight loss in the surgery group compared to 8 percent of the same in the lifestyle group. Also, 54 percent of participants in the surgery group achieved an HbA1c level of less than 7 percent, whereas only 27 percent of the lifestyle group achieved the same level.
The reports revealed a sharp decline in the percentage of participants depending on diabetes medications from 98 percent to 61 percent in the surgery group. On the other hand, the remission rate remained mostly unchanged in the lifestyle group.
“Obesity and type 2 diabetes are complex conditions with many common risk factors and long-term complications,” said NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers. “This study exemplifies how public investments in obesity and diabetes research can lead to real clinical advances and long-term health benefits for millions of Americans experiencing these conditions.”
However, the study also elucidated that the participants of the surgery group suffered through a higher number of fractures, anemia, low iron, and gastrointestinal issues due to nutritional deficiencies, highlighting the fact that proper and regular monitoring is important for the patients who had bariatric surgery.
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