In a new study, researchers have developed a new non-invasive weight-loss therapy called Endoscopic and metabolic therapies, or EBMTs.
The therapy was designed to reduce a patient’s stomach volume or alter other parts of the digestive tract to treat obesity and other metabolic diseases.
Given the growing obesity epidemic and the increasing costs of health care in the United States, the demand for less-invasive weight loss therapies has become stronger.
According to the researchers, unlike traditional bariatric surgery, the EBMTs procedure is performed using a small, flexible scope inserted through the patient’s mouth.
The procedure has strong weight loss results as well as improvements in obesity-related health problems and a low rate of adverse effects.
The new therapy may benefit obesity patients who fail to meet surgical requirements for traditional weight loss surgery or afraid of undergoing operations.
It also may be an excellent, less-invasive option for people who have tried diet and exercise without success.
Many of these patients are not candidates for surgical procedures or are unwilling to undergo a surgical procedure.
The researchers suggest that this therapy may offer bridge therapy for patients who require weight loss prior to other types of surgery, such as knee or hip replacements, or organ transplants.
GI Dynamics® Inc. is a medical device company currently developing EndoBarrier®, a non-invasive EBMT for individuals with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
They will be enrolling patients in a new clinical trial at the University of Michigan later this year.
The primary goal of the study is to reduce blood sugar levels (HbA1c) in patients after 12 months of treatment.
The leader of the new study in Michigan Medicine is Allison R. Schulman, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of gastroenterology and internal medicine.
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