Obesity Surgery Helps Type 2 Diabetes
April 25, 2003 -- Obesity surgery nearly always helps type 2 diabetes, a new study suggests.
The finding comes from University of Pittsburgh researchers led by Philip Schauer, MD, co-director of the minimally invasive surgery center at the university's Presbyterian Hospital.
At this week's annual meeting of the American Surgical Association, Schauer reported on 144 women and 48 obese men with type 2 diabetes. Before undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en Y gastric bypass surgery -- which reduces stomach size to a tiny pouch -- these patients weighed an average 308 pounds. Average weight lost after surgery was 97 pounds.
Diabetes went away or got better in 97% of the patients. The longer a person had had diabetes, the longer it took to get better.
The 199 patients who had diabetes for less than five years saw their diabetes resolve in 46 days. The 29 who had diabetes for more than 10 years had their diabetes resolve in 98 days. None of the patients' diabetes got worse after surgery.
"Patients with the shortest duration and mildest form of diabetes prior to surgery had quicker resolution and significantly better outcomes," Schauer says in a news release. "[This suggests] that early surgical intervention is warranted to increase the likelihood of patients having a normal [blood sugar] level."
Is This Normal? Get the Facts Fast!
Answer:
0-69
70-130
131+
Your level is currently
If the level is below 70 and you are experiencing symptoms such as shaking, sweating or difficulty thinking, you will need to raise the number immediately. A quick solution is to eat a few pieces of hard candy or 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey. Recheck your numbers again in 15 minutes to see if the number has gone up. If not, repeat the steps above or call your doctor.
People who experience hypoglycemia several times in a week should call their health care provider. It's important to monitor your levels each day so you can make sure your numbers are within the range. If you are pregnant always consult with your health care provider.
Congratulations on taking steps to manage your health.
However, it's important to continue to track your numbers so that you can make lifestyle changes if needed. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
Your level is high if this reading was taken before eating. Aim for 70-130 before meals and less than 180 two hours after meals.
Even if your number is high, it's not too late for you to take control of your health and lower your blood sugar.
One of the first steps is to monitor your levels each day. If you are pregnant always consult with your physician.
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