Weight loss surgery for diabetes sufferers

A new study was released recently which discovered that nearly eight out of 10 patients undergoing weight loss surgery who also have Type 2 diabetes see an end to the condition following the operation.

The research took into account over 135,000 cases and studied patients with diabetes who had weight loss surgery, the purpose of the study was to determine how frequently the patients enjoyed a complete eradication of the symptoms of diabetes following their surgery. The researchers found that nearly 80 per cent of patients received complete relief from the condition and more found their diabetes was alleviated at least slightly.

As Type 2 diabetes can be triggered by obesity, it may not seem surprising that many of the people undergoing weight loss surgery like gastric bypass surgery or lap band surgery are relieved of the symptoms of diabetes after the surgery. What did surprise me was the volume of people that experienced such results.

The study was undertaken by the University of Minnesota and reported that an enormous 78.1 per cent of diabetic patients had “complete resolution” of diabetes for at least two years following surgery. This figure is an astonishing one that really opens up the range of benefits that weight loss surgery can provide for seriously overweight patients

Naturally, it’s best to do what you can to avoid obesity, but if an obese person is considering weight loss surgery and is also afflicted with Type 2 diabetes, the study certainly serves as another reason for consideration. Not only will they be able to experience the opportunity to become fit and healthy, but they could find themselves relieved of a frequently debilitating condition as well. I will certainly be interested to see if this study provokes more in kind and what kind of media coverage the results will get – it undoubtedly sounds like a significant finding for the weight loss surgery field to me.