Metabolic surgery, often called weight-loss surgery or bariatric surgery, is becoming more popular among people with diabetes. This surgery helps people lose weight, and studies have shown it can even help manage or sometimes completely reverse diabetes.
Around 60 to 80 percent of people who have this surgery see their diabetes go into remission, meaning their blood sugar levels return to normal without the need for medication.
However, researchers were not sure if this surgery could still protect the heart when diabetes didn’t fully go away or if it returned after some time. Recently, a new study has answered this question, revealing that metabolic surgery can indeed provide heart benefits even if diabetes is not entirely cured.
In 2023, researchers presented their findings at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) annual meeting. They discovered that people with diabetes who had metabolic surgery were healthier, lived longer, and had fewer heart problems compared to those who did not have the surgery.
Most importantly, the surgery greatly reduced the risk of serious heart events like heart attacks and strokes. According to the study, the risk of death from a heart attack was lowered by more than 27 percent, and the risk of dying from a stroke was reduced by almost 27 percent. Even if people did experience these health problems, those who had the surgery were more likely to survive.
Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, one of the researchers involved in the study, explained why the surgery might help the heart. He said the surgery improves blood sugar control in people with diabetes, and this better control of blood sugar reduces the risk of heart-related problems.
He emphasized that the heart benefits were present even if the person did not completely get rid of diabetes after surgery.
The study was quite large, including data from 2016 to 2019. The researchers compared two groups of people with diabetes. One group had 70,083 people who went through metabolic surgery, and the other group had 348,212 people who did not have the surgery.
The two groups were matched based on age, gender, race, and the severity of their diabetes. This matching helped the researchers focus on how the surgery alone affected health outcomes, without other factors getting in the way.
The benefits of metabolic surgery went beyond just heart health. The people who had the surgery spent less time in the hospital and saved money on medical costs. Their savings ranged from $1,000 to nearly $4,000.
Additionally, they were less likely to need major surgeries like heart bypass operations or limb amputations, which are sometimes necessary for people with severe diabetes. Even when they did need these surgeries, they recovered better than those who did not have metabolic surgery.
Dr. Teresa LaMasters, the President of ASMBS, said this study shows that metabolic surgery can still be very helpful even if diabetes doesn’t completely disappear.
The surgery reduces the risk of heart disease and other diabetes-related problems, which is crucial because people with diabetes are at high risk of heart issues. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death for people with diabetes, so reducing this risk is a major achievement.
Despite these benefits, only about 1% of eligible patients in the United States choose to have weight-loss surgery each year. The number of surgeries performed in 2020 was even lower because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, as more people become aware of the heart-protecting benefits of the surgery, it’s possible that more people will consider it as a way to manage their diabetes and improve their overall health.
Obesity is a major problem in the United States, with more than 42 percent of adults considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obesity can lead to many serious health problems, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and even some types of cancer.
Being overweight also makes it harder for the body to fight infections, including COVID-19. For many people with obesity and diabetes, losing weight through diet and exercise alone can be incredibly difficult, and this is where metabolic surgery can make a significant difference.
Metabolic surgery is not just about losing weight; it’s about changing how the body handles blood sugar and reducing the risk of serious health problems.
The surgery changes the digestive system in a way that improves blood sugar control and reduces the risk of heart attacks and strokes. For many people, it offers a chance to live a healthier, longer life with fewer medical problems.
As more studies highlight these benefits, it is likely that more people will turn to metabolic surgery as a life-changing option. This surgery has the potential not only to manage diabetes but also to protect the heart and improve the quality of life for many people struggling with obesity and related health issues.
With its growing recognition as a powerful tool in fighting diabetes and heart disease, metabolic surgery may become a more common choice for patients seeking long-term health improvements.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes, and how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes with healthy foods.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin D and type2 diabetes, and to people with type 2 diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
