| Weight loss surgery is a treatment to cure | | | | who underwent weight loss surgery, when |
| diabetes. | | | | compared with equally obese people who did |
| | | | not have the surgery. |
| According to the American Diabetes | | | | |
| Association, nearly 21 million people in the | | | | It is becoming more apparent that weight loss |
| United States have type 2 diabetes. About | | | | surgery may be the answer to metabolic |
| fifty four million are estimated to have | | | | diseases such as high blood pressure and |
| elevated blood sugar levels and are | | | | diabetes. This revolutionary way of thinking |
| classified as having "pre-diabetes." Most | | | | is changing the approach to the management of |
| cases of type 2 diabetes are a result of | | | | type 2 diabetes. Medicines such as insulin |
| being overweight. By being overweight the | | | | and hypoglycemic drugs simply mask the |
| body does not respond appropriately to blood | | | | symptoms by keeping blood sugar levels low. |
| levels of insulin, and in some people the | | | | Weight loss surgery has a chance to lead to a |
| insulin levels are lower than normal. This | | | | cure. |
| leads to the body being unable to regulate | | | | |
| its blood sugars appropriately. | | | | A recent summit was held in Rome, Italy with |
| | | | over two dozen medical organizations to |
| Several studies have shown that weight loss | | | | review the evidence of weight loss surgery on |
| surgery can cure type II diabetes. A study | | | | diabetes. The conference participants are |
| published in the Journal of the American | | | | expected to release a consensus statement |
| Medical Association in 2004 showed that type | | | | regarding the role of weight loss surgery as |
| II diabetes was eliminated in nearly 77% of | | | | a possible treatment for type 2 diabetes. |
| weight loss surgery patients. | | | | |
| | | | Several options exist for weight loss surgery |
| A study published in the New England Journal | | | | and the two most popular are the gastric |
| of Medicine in August 2007 showed that deaths | | | | bypass, and adjustable gastric banding. |
| from diabetes were reduced 92% in patients | | | | |