Weight Loss Surgeries Could Give You Some Additional Health Benefits

Weight loss surgeries carried out to treat type 2 diabetes can give some additional health benefits. Diabetes patients who had these surgeries experienced greater physical health than those who did not have it.

Weight loss surgeries have long-term beneficial effects, found researchers from the Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric & Metabolic Institute. They observed that people who underwent bariatric and metabolic surgeries had reported multiple additional benefits other than weight loss itself.

“When diabetes is coupled with obesity, the impact on lower quality of life can be related to the mechanical effects of obesity as well, which leads to poor mobility and bodily pain. Significant weight loss and insulin independence following metabolic surgery drive the improvement in general health measures and quality of life for patients with type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Kashyap, an endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic’s Endocrinology & Metabolism Institute.

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Bariatric or weight loss surgery is done on persons with severe obesity who are unable to lose weight by other methods or those who have obesity-related health issues.

‘Diabetes patients who had weight-loss surgeries experienced better physical functioning outcomes than the patients in the medical therapy group. Loss of weight in significant levels following the surgery might drive the overall improvement in the quality of life for patients.’

This finding was based on a new analysis which showed that people who had those surgeries to treat uncontrolled type 2 diabetes reported greater physical health and less negative effects of diabetes in their daily lives compared to those who didn’t have it.

The analysis was a part of the Cleveland Clinic-led STAMPEDE study (Surgical Therapy and Medications Potentially Eradicate Diabetes Efficiently). This was the first randomized controlled clinical trial that compared head-to-head bariatric surgery with intensive medical therapy to treat type 2 diabetes in patients with poorly controlled diabetes and obesity.

The original trial included 150 participants, whereas the current study looked into only 104 participants.

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• Twenty-six patients who received intensive medical therapy only

• Forty-one patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery and received medical therapy

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• Thirty-seven patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy and received medical therapy

They all were asked to fill up two generic health-related quality of life questionnaires and a diabetes-specific questionnaire at the beginning of the trial and then on an annual basis following enrolment.

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It was found that nearly 3 out of 4 patients were able to stop taking their insulin and other diabetes medications within six months of bariatric surgery.

The responses from participants showed that 78 patients in the surgical groups had better outcomes in physical functioning, maintenance of energy levels, and management of body pain compared to the 26 patients in the medical therapy group.

“Our findings suggest that psychological well‐being needs may require more attention in metabolic surgical patients. The study results highlight that we may need greater emphasis on that aspect of the treatment, such as identification of psychosocial and emotional factors before surgery that can predict outcomes of surgery, as well as continuous psychosocial support after surgery,” said Dr. Aminian, lead author of the study.

The research article was published in the Annals of Surgery.

Source-Medindia