Can Gastric Bypass Surgery Help Cure Diabetes?

by Dr Sam Girgis on April 28, 2011

Weight loss has been known to alleviate the severity of type 2 diabetes.  Thus, patients that have had weight loss surgeries such as gastric bypass have been observed to have improvements in their diabetes.  Some have even been able to stop taking diabetes medications, as their blood glucose levels have normalized after weight loss due to the surgery.  Research published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, has revealed part of the mechanism by which this improvement in diabetes occurs.  Investigators from Columbia University in New York and Duke University in North Carolina, studied patients with diabetes that lost weight after gastric bypass and after dieting alone.  In both groups, the patients lost the same amount of weight – about 20 pounds.  The study also involved measuring metabolic compounds in the bodies of the two study groups.  It was found that in the gastric bypass group, the levels of circulating branch chain amino acids was significantly lower.  These metabolic compounds have been shown to impact obesity, diabetes, and insulin resistance.  Insulin resistance has been one of the key mechanism by which type 2 diabetes develops in humans.  Gastric bypass patients have been observed to have better control of their diabetes even before losing any weight.  Thus, the gastric bypass surgery changes the metabolism of the body in a mechanism which is different from weight loss alone.  These conclusions can only be postulated to occur in gastric bypass patients, which undergo a Roux-en-Y surgery that reduces the size of the stomach.  Patients who have a Lap-Band weight loss device, which wraps around the upper stomach and limits the amount of food eaten, may not benefit from this mechanism.  Further investigation may lead to medications which utilize the same mechanism as gastric bypass surgery in the treatment of diabetes without having to actually go through the surgical procedure.

Reference: 

Laferrere, B. et. al. (2011) “Differential Metabolic Impact of Gastric Bypass Surgery Versus Dietary Intervention in Obese Diabetic Subjects Despite Identical Weight Loss” Sci. Transl. Med. Vol. 3, Issue 80, p. 80re2

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

James Pierce April 30, 2011 at 4:26 pm

You could definitely see your enthusiasm in the paintings you write. The world hopes for even more passionate writers such as you who are not afraid to mention how they believe. All the time follow your heart.

Reply

John O'donnell May 1, 2011 at 8:05 pm

I conceive this site holds very great pent subject matter articles .

Reply

lap band diet May 3, 2011 at 9:04 am

Here are ten rules for eating, drinking and exercise that will help you get the best results you can with the LAP-BAND System. How willing you are to follow a new way of eating is key to making the operation a success. Eat only three small meals a day Eat slowly and chew thoroughly (15-20 times a bite) Stop eating as soon as you feel full Do not drink while you are eating Do not eat between meals Eat only good quality food Avoid fibrous food Drink enough fluids during the day Drink only low-calorie fluids Exercise at least 30 minutes a day

Reply

toasty redhead May 9, 2011 at 11:11 pm

Thank you for a great post.

Reply

Eleonore Ahart May 11, 2011 at 9:58 pm

Yours is the hotest site I read on my new Samsung Galaxy. I’m bookmarking for nostalga.

Reply

Leave a Comment