Many obese and morbidly obese people suffer from Type 2 diabetes.
They also suffer from several other co-morbid conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease and more. Research has shown that weight loss surgery can effectively treat diabetes as well as these other other obesity-related health problems.
Obesity is a Leading Cause of Type 2 Diabetes.
Obesity increases your risk for over 30 chronic health conditions such as high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, asthma, some types of cancer and type 2 diabetes. It does this by increasing the levels of fatty acids and inflammation in your body, which leads to insulin resistance and can eventually lead to type 2 diabetes. Also known as non-insulin dependent diabetes, it accounts for about 90% of diabetes cases. People with this type of diabetes can product some insulin on their own, but it’s usually not enough or their body cells don’t respond to it. As a result, high levels of blood sugar built up in the body. The exact mechanism involved in insulin resistance as a result of obesity has yet to be identified.
It's no wonder, then, that many diabetics undergo bariatric surgery in order to treat the various health problems associated with their obesity. As scientific and medical research has found, bariatric surgery plays a significant role in improving wellness, which includes potentially curing type 2 diabetes.
What Bariatric Surgery Does for Diabetics
Studies have found that diabetics who undergo bariatric surgery often experience remission, meaning that blood sugar levels are no longer in the diabetic range, even without the aid of medication. This weight loss, coupled with a patient’s improvement in eating habits and overall lifestyle, in essence end up curing diabetes.
A recent study by the American Medical Association indicated a variety of short-term and long-term health gains for diabetics who undergo surgical weight loss. The study reported that severely obese patients with diabetes had 40% fewer heart attacks and strokes and 67% fewer deaths within five years after weight loss surgery. The risk for diabetic neuropathy in the hands and feet also dropped by 50%. Bariatric surgery also lowers blood pressure and abdominal pressure, changes levels of sx hormones, lowers cholesterol and also changes the gut-brain interaction.
How Long Will Type 2 Diabetes Remain in Remission?
Research remains ongoing on this front. However, studies have found that remission from diabetes can last 15 years, and perhaps even longer. The chance of long-term diabetes remission is around 30 percent, which is rather significant, all things considered.
Medical research continues, and these findings may improve as more and more weight loss surgery patients participate in studies and as more data is accumulated.
Types of Bariatric Surgery for Diabetes
Many different kinds of weight loss surgery procedures can help reduce body mass through restricting the amount of calories consumed, reducing the number of calories absorbed into the system during digestion, and a mixture of both these mechanisms. Available procedures all have different effects on diabetes. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the speed at which Type 2 diabetes goes into remission differences with restrictive, which limits amount of food a patient can eat, versus malabsorptive procedures, which limits the amount of nutrients your body can absorb. Following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and biliopancreatic diversion, diabetes remits within days, even before the patient has lost much weight. This does not occur after gastric restrictive procedures.
Is Bariatric Surgery Right for My Diabetes?
The best way to find out if weight loss surgery is a good option for you is to discuss this option with your general practitioner. We can then hold a consultation with our team to cover the risks and benefits of each procedure in greater detail, answering any and all questions that you may have about the procedure and what it can achieve.
Schedule a Consultation at Tijuana Bariatric Center
For more information about treating obesity-related illnesses like diabetes through the latest in bariatric procedures, be sure to contact our weight loss surgery center today (call 800 970-0577). The team at Tijuana Bariatric Center looks forward to your visit and helping you achieve your health and wellness goals.
