Can Weight Loss Surgery Make Diabetes Disappear?

(Reuters) - Weight loss surgery appears to change the body's metabolism in a way that dieting alone cannot, helping to explain why diabetes often disappears after the surgery even before much weight is lost, U.S. researchers said on Wednesday.

Understanding how gastric bypass affects metabolism could shed light on treatments for type 2 diabetes, a global epidemic strongly linked with obesity and too little exercise.

Weight loss surgery is becoming increasingly popular as obese people struggle to lose weight and avoid the health complications that accompany the extra pounds -- including diabetes, heart disease, joint pain and some cancers.

In research conducted at Columbia University in New York and Duke University in North Carolina, researchers studied two small groups of severely obese diabetic patients who either had gastric bypass surgery or went on strict diets.

Both groups lost about 20 pounds.

For the study, the teams measured metabolites -- chemical byproducts of foods in the body.

They found that unlike dieting, gastric bypass changes a person's metabolism by significantly reducing levels of circulating amino acids -- compounds linked with obesity, diabetes and insulin resistance.

"What we were trying to do is cast a very wide net," said Christopher Newgard of Duke, who worked on the study published in Science Translational Medicine.

"What we caught is a very clear difference between bariatric surgery and dietary intervention."

He said patients in the surgery group had lower levels of molecules known as branch chain amino acids.

"These dropped much more precipitously in people having bariatric surgery than people having the dietary intervention," he said.

People in the gastric bypass arm of the study underwent a surgery known as Roux-en-Y, in which doctors surgically reduce the size of the stomach to prevent people from eating too.

Newgard said it is not clear why reducing stomach size might have this effect, but it is clear that bariatric surgery results in significant metabolic changes.

The team is now looking to discover ways to develop drugs that could replicate this effect.

Newgard said the results might not apply to Allergan's Lap-Band weight-loss device, in which doctors insert an adjustable silicone band around the upper part of the stomach but do not surgically reduce the size of the stomach.

Up to a third of U.S. adults could suffer from diabetes by 2050, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

By Julie Steenhuysen
(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[therightzwrong]

04:44 PM on 05/16/2011

Of course people say.. eat right, exercise and your diabetes will go away.. Avoid the surgery. I have two examples..
My Dad diabetic, not overweight diagnosed at age 20 during his military check up he weighed 138lbs. . Nothing we have done has helped him overcome diabetes. He nearly died 2 months ago with some kind of brain infection, the diabetes has robbed him of his feeling in the legs. Massive heart attack at 50. My Dad has suffered enough and if there is a surgery that can help him enjoy his life more than I am all for it.
My Aunt, 400lbs. 5'6''. Gained weight from depression after a work place disability. She was to the point where she could not walk. She was 55 with a child in high school. She qualified for the surgery and yes, we all paid for it. It's 10 years later, her weight now is 130 lbs. She travels, enjoys her grandchildren on over night visits. She misses eating all the foods that she used to love but those foods nearly killed her. Now if she over eats.. and I see her all the time eating more than she should but she SUFFERS for it.. hence she has been able to keep the weight off despite her habit of overeating. So, I say in some cases this surgery is definitely a good thing.

[LukeTunyich]

03:24 PM on 05/05/2011

Quote:
“Weight loss surgery appears to change the body's metabolism in a way that dieting alone cannot, helping to explain why diabetes often disappears after the surgery even before much weight is lost”

Gastric bypass works only in one way and that is it induces injury in the abdominal wall and in the stomach, and in that way it changes the biomechanics of walking and sitting. It looks unbelievable, but before refusing out of the hand it needs to remind that conventional understanding of weight loss/weight gain is based on counting calories and energy balance.

The mechanism underlining weight loss induced by WLS is explained in the article: “Weight Loss Surgeries, Weight Loss, Diabetes and the Biomechanics of Sitting and Walking”. The same article explains the mechanism underlining remission/cure of Type 2 Diabetes. The link to the article is: http://www.biomechanicsandhealth.com/wlsandtype2diabetes.htm

[little5133]

08:55 PM on 05/01/2011

I was reading all the comments and a lot of them are saying just eat right and self control etc... I was a type two for a long time. I am 5 foot 9 and weighed 145 lbs. Far from being over weight. I had so many problems with my diabetes that I almost died more than once. Now I am a type 1. If I could have an operation to stop my body from dying organ by organ I would do it. The US will not allow the surg for any other reason than obesity. Other countries, France and Brazil allow this surg. The US will not because of the drug companies. If I gained 100 lbs to qualify for the surg I will be dead before then. So I will die from the diabetes on slow organ at a time.

[NotEve]

11:08 AM on 05/16/2011

Don't read too much into the results of this study. I would not believe their conclusions until they've demonstrated them by putting both cohorts on exactly the same diets and caloric restrictions.

If they can demonstrate these same findings after feeding both groups the exact same diet and quantity then they might be on to something, but this study is too vague to make such conclusions.

[therightzwrong]

04:35 PM on 05/16/2011

You are absolutely correct. My father, not overweight was not eligible for the trials because he was not overweight. The article even states

"Newgard said it is not clear why reducing stomach size might have this effect, but it is clear that bariatric surgery results in significant metabolic changes.

The team is now looking to discover ways to develop drugs that could replicate this effect".

The drug companies see a cure by surgery and are worried about their profits. They dont understand that our bodies are NOT understood.. by any stretch of the imagination. There is something in the stomach or part of the bypass surgical removal that causes the immune system to go diabetic on you. They wont understand this for years and years until a computer can go in and figure out each and every ionic particle that makes us human.
Just allow the surgery and save the American taxpayer some cash.. but no,.. they're looking for a "drug to replicate" the bypass surgery.
If I were you, I 'd mortgage my home and go to where ever they do this surgery and have it done. .. You might want to stay there indefinitely, obviously they who allow this are a better society than we.

[lbrown8349]

06:42 PM on 05/01/2011

I had the gastric bypass surgery 2 years ago and was taking 350 units of insulin before meals. The doctor said my Type 2 diabetes would NOT go away and it didn't... but I only take 12 units before meals now and it's in much better control. I do have a bleeding ulcer from having the surgery and that's healing now. All in all... it was WELL worth it. I lost 120 pounds and have kept it off. I don't know what the future holds... but it feels good to be able to move around and feel healthier!!

[Heartslord]

06:15 PM on 05/01/2011

This surgery to stop diabetes type II is absurd! Master-Level acupuncture cures diabetes type II in most cases in just a few treatments. It's also great for post-stroke, GURDS, reflux, most pain, ADD, ADHD, shingles, hot flashes, asthma and more.

Acupuncture works. Add this surgery to the unecessay hip and knee replacements and the 80+% of failed back surgeries.

[beesknees08]

04:59 PM on 05/03/2011

Lol.

[NotEve]

11:10 AM on 05/16/2011

rotflmaf.

I'm not a proponent of bariatric surgery, but at least its not pseudo-scientific quackery.

[lvrtrvl]

06:00 PM on 05/01/2011

From what I've heard, it doesn't sound all that healthy too me. I'd rather make the effort to loose the weight on my own.

[kimmers355]

03:52 PM on 05/01/2011

I had this surgery 7 years ago ... I was just shy of 300 pounds and stay between 150-160 now. They don't tell people all that they should. As far as the weight loss I would say my surgery was a success however, in other areas I view it as the worst choice I ever made! One year after surgery I had emergency surgery for a bowel obstruction due to adhesions ( scar tissue ) from the surgery. It does lower blood sugar helping those with diabetes but I was not diabetic when I had the surgery ... well it also can lower blood sugar of non diabetic people ( which would make sense since the surgery doesn't know the difference of who is diabetic and who is not ) so I am now severely hypoglycemic and on meds, whereas prior to surgery I was not. I also am dealing with many unexplained issues and my neurologist stated that they are finding many people years after surgery dealing with neurological pain. They usually can not find the exact cause but rather are left to deal with the symptoms ... I am now on a med for that. I could go on and on about issues I have resulting from this surgery. Again I do NOT recommend it for anyone! If I could go back and undo it, I would!

[Jason McManus]

03:34 PM on 05/01/2011

The surgery is not the answer. Learn some self control and lose the weight, when you slim down you bodily functions will start to return to normal, once the fat in your cells reduces.

[virginmrq]

02:25 PM on 05/01/2011

when i was 350 i was on 4 insulin shots a day.got gastric.lost 170 lb. didnt need anything. gained 40 back and now i am on 1 pill a day. but i am honest saying i dont eat right.i have a hard time eating and vomiting.but let me tell you it was worth it.

[NotEve]

11:14 AM on 05/16/2011

You probably could have achieved the same results without the risky surgical procedure.

Bariatric surgery is not miraculous, it simply enforces a physical limitation on food consumption. That same limitation -and benefits- can be obtained without the surgery, and with significantly less cost, risk, harmful repercussions.

[Dana Eden]

09:39 PM on 04/30/2011

Working in the health and fitness industry and working with diabetics on a regular basis, I wonder if gastric banding is the answer. I still stick by the big "5" and they are 1. Learn about what foods to eat and what to avoid, 2. Do Cardiovascular exercise 3. Do Muscle Toning Exercises 4. Learn how to have the right mindset and 5. Get a support team around you. Diabetes is fast becoming an epidemic and learning to look after your health rather than placing a band-aid over the problem will also give you a feeling of accomplishment, strength, confidence and better self esteem.

[Carol Weinstein]

10:17 AM on 04/30/2011

I recommend reading a book called "Diabetes and You: A Comprehensive, Holistic Approach". Covers everything about diabetes, including surgery.

Hope this helps.

[KellyVickers]

07:49 AM on 04/30/2011

I have interviewed over a hundred people who have survived bariatric surgery. The benefits can be tremendous, however the risks are still great enough to make natural weight loss the preferred plan of action. This article presents an encouraging small scale study that has not been peer reviewed. I don't doubt their results, however this article feels like it's been written by someone marketing bariatric surgery. As dangerous as diabetes is, having portions of your bowel and stomach taken out of commission can present complications that are just as dangerous. Note that several major diet plans, including Atkins, also tout studies demonstrating that the symptoms of type 2 diabetes usually vanishes around the point of the loss of ten percent of body weight.

Kelly Vickers, JD www.KellyVickers.com

[Ramesh Kumar]

03:09 AM on 04/30/2011

People who have difficulty losing weight through diet and exercise may decide to undergo bariatric surgery, more commonly referred to as weight loss surgery, in order to achieve a healthier weight . Now, new research shows that weight loss surgery may have an unexpected benefit in overweight

weight loss surgery is associated with risks, including complications such as bleeding and infection at the incision sites. Clinical data show that using OPTIFAST before surgery can help patients lose enough weight to significantly reduce health risks associated with the weight loss surgery itself.

[mstock57]

05:22 PM on 04/29/2011

I got my diabetes under control the old fashioned way. I lost 90 lbs through a combination of diet and exercise.

[rikster]

04:37 PM on 04/29/2011

this sounds like an ad for surgeons/surgery...