Have you ever heard of metabolic surgery? This is a kind of operation that helps you lose weight. It’s also called bariatric or weight-loss surgery.
Many folks who have diabetes decide to have this surgery. It can help most of them control their diabetes better.
Some studies even say that it can put diabetes into remission in 60 to 80 percent of cases.
This means they no longer have diabetes after the operation. But until now, we didn’t know if this operation could also help protect the heart in patients where diabetes doesn’t fully go away or it comes back later.
A New Study Reveals Positive Results
Researchers decided to look into this question. They shared their findings at a big meeting held by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) in 2023.
Their research showed that folks with diabetes who had metabolic surgery were healthier and lived longer than those who didn’t have the surgery. They were less likely to have heart attacks, strokes or need to go to the hospital.
If they did face these health problems, they were less likely to die. For example, they cut their risk of death from a heart attack by more than 27 percent and from a stroke by almost 27 percent.
Explaining the Results
Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, one of the researchers, shared his thoughts about the study. He said, “This study shows that the surgery can help protect the heart, even if a patient doesn’t fully get rid of diabetes.”
He added that the surgery seems to control blood sugar levels better in people with diabetes. This could be why it also helps lower the risk of heart problems.
More About the Study
The team of researchers looked at data collected between 2016 and 2019. They compared two groups of people with diabetes.
One group had the surgery (70,083 patients), and the other group didn’t (348,212 patients). Both groups were similar in age, gender, race, social class, and how serious their diseases were.
Extra Benefits of the Surgery
The study found even more good news. Folks who had the surgery spent less time in the hospital. They also saved money because they didn’t need as much care.
The savings could be from over $1,000 to nearly $4,000. Patients who had the surgery also needed fewer other surgeries like heart bypass surgery or limb amputation. And if they did need these, they generally did better.
What This Study Means
Dr. Teresa LaMasters, President of ASMBS, explained why this study is important.
She said it shows that metabolic surgery can be useful for diabetes even if the diabetes doesn’t fully go away. She noted that it can still help protect against complications of the disease.
The Current State of Metabolic Surgery
Despite these benefits, only about 1% of eligible patients get weight-loss surgery each year. In 2020, the number of these surgeries went down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Obesity and Diabetes: A Growing Concern
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 42 percent of Americans are obese.
Obesity can make the body’s immune system weaker. It can also lead to other health problems like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, and COVID-19.
In conclusion, metabolic surgery may be a lifesaver for many patients with diabetes. It can help control the disease, protect the heart, and even prolong life.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about Vitamin D and type 2 diabetes, and what you need to know about avocado and type 2 diabetes.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about How to eat to prevent type 2 diabetes and 5 vitamins that may prevent complications in diabetes.
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