Weight-loss surgery lowers blood sugar levels
Updated Thu. Jun. 19 2008 10:20 AM ET
CTV.ca News Staff
Weight-loss surgery lowers blood sugar levels in morbidly obese diabetes patients better than traditional medications such as insulin, a new study says.
Researchers from Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wis., found that blood sugar levels returned to normal in diabetics who had laparoscopic bypass surgery. Patients who were simply given medication actually saw a rise in their blood sugar levels.
After one year, only 22 per cent of patients who had the surgery needed oral medications, such as insulin. In contrast, 82 per cent of patients who were on conventional treatments needed medication, compared to 67 per cent a year earlier.
The findings were presented at the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery's annual meeting in Washington, D.C.
When performing laparoscopic bypass surgery, doctors shrink the size of the stomach so it can hold less food and create a channel so food can bypass the parts of the intestine responsible for absorbing calories.
The research team studied 102 diabetes patients who had an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 47. A BMI over 30 is considered obese and a BMI over 35 is very obese.
Source:
CTV Med News Express
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080618/surgery_diabetes_080618/20080619?s_name=medExpress2007
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