Bariatric surgery effective for remission of new-onset type 2 diabetes

WASHINGTON — Patients with class I and II obesity who underwent bariatric surgery as first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes saw an 89% remission rate after 3 years of follow-up, according to research presented at ObesityWeek.

Surgical treatment for type 2 diabetes is typically attempted after lifestyle and medical therapy fail to control hyperglycemia in these patients, Ali Aminian, MD, associate professor of surgery at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, and colleagues wrote in background to their poster.

The researchers assessed outcomes of 35 patients (30 women; mean age, 40.5 years) with BMI between 30 kg/m² and 40 kg/m² (mean BMI 37.8 kg/m²) who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the 12 months preceding bariatric surgery. Two patients underwent gastric banding, six had sleeve gastrectomy and 27 underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Follow-up was at least 3 years.

At a median follow-up of 5 years, mean BMI had decreased by 7 kg/m², median excess weight lost was 55%. Patients experienced reductions in HbA1c from baseline 7.1% to 5.8% (P < .001), fasting blood glucose from baseline 129.4 mg/dL to 94.6 mg/dL (P = .001), and number of diabetes medications from baseline 0.7 agents to 0.2 agents (P < .001). Diabetes remission, defined as HbA1c below 6.5%, was met by 31 of the participants.

“A significant and sustainable remission of [type 2 diabetes] is achievable in patients with obesity class I and II, if bariatric surgery is performed early in the course of the disease,” the researchers wrote. – by Jill Rollet

Reference:

Aminan A. A5128. Presented at: ObesityWeek 2017; Oct. 29-Nov. 2, 2017; Washington, D.C.

Disclosure: Endocrine Today was unable to determine any relevant financial disclosures at the time of publication.

Editor's Note: On Nov. 1, fasting blood glucose decreased numbers were updated to reflect the correct reductions. The editor's regret this error.