In addition to shedding excess weight, bariatric surgery can be beneficial for people with obesity as it may reverse complications connected to diabetes, a new study has found.
The term bariatric surgery collectively denotes gastric bypass and other weight-loss surgeries. It is prescribed when people with obesity find it difficult to make improvements with exercise and diet or when they face serious health issues due to being overweight.
The basic principle of bariatric surgery is to restrict food intake and decrease the absorption of food in the stomach and intestines.
Common health issues associated with obesity include type 2 diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and obstructive sleep apnea. The use of bariatric surgery is approved for patients with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or more, who also have at least one of these conditions.
Around 160,000 people in the U.S. undergo bariatric surgery each year. However, only around 1% of the population that needs weight loss surgeries opt for it. The numbers are low because of many misconceptions and fears about risks associated with the surgery.
How does bariatric surgery help diabetes?
Obesity is one of the potential risk factors for developing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. In type 2 diabetes patients who are obese, the amount of insulin produced may be normal. However, it may be inadequate to meet the needs of the body, which results in elevated blood sugar levels.
Researchers from the University of Michigan Health Department of Neurology followed more than 120 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery for over two years after the procedure.
They found the participants had marked improvements in all metabolic risk factors for developing diabetes, such as high glucose and lipid levels, except blood pressure and total cholesterol.
In addition to these positive changes, the patients also showed improvements in peripheral neuropathy, a condition that causes nerve damage outside of the brain and spinal cord. The patients often…
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