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