Obesity is a chronic disease increasing at epidemic rates worldwide. Diet and lifestyle intervention form the basis of healthy weight management but are not effective in promoting substantial weight loss in morbidly obese individuals. Bariatric surgery appears to be the only intervention that produces not only profound and sustainable weight loss but also excellent control of attendant comorbidities, particularly type 2 diabetes mellitus, in this group. However, fears and concerns regarding the safety and aggressiveness of surgery is limiting the acceptance of bariatric surgery as a viable treatment option. Newer, less invasive procedures hold promise to fill the gap between conservative and surgical therapies for weight loss.

Bariatric Surgery ; adverse effects ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; complications ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Obesity, Morbid ; complications ; surgery ; Treatment Outcome ; Weight Loss

INTRODUCTIONObesity is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Metabolic-bariatric surgery (MBS) results in significant weight loss with dramatic improvement in T2DM. This study analysed the effects of MBS on patients with T2DM in a tertiary centre in Singapore.

METHODSIndividuals with T2DM who underwent MBS in a single centre from September 2008 to May 2012, with at least 12 months of regular follow-up, were included in our study. The primary outcome measure was good glycaemic control (glycated haemoglobin [HbA1c] < 6.5%, with or without medications) 12 months after surgery. Secondary outcome measures were partial DM remission (fasting blood glucose [FBG] < 7.0 mmol/L and HbA1c < 6.5% without DM medications), complete DM remission (FBG < 5.6 mmol/L and HbA1c < 6.0% without DM medications), weight, body mass index, blood pressure, and fasting serum lipid, serum glucose and serum insulin levels.

RESULTSOf the 19 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 14 underwent gastric bypass and 5 underwent sleeve gastrectomy. At 12 months postoperatively, 17 (89.5%) patients achieved good glycaemic control. DM remission was achieved in 14 (73.7%) patients, with 10 (52.6%) attaining complete remission.

CONCLUSIONIn Singapore, MBS is an effective treatment modality for obese patients with T2DM. Despite the small sample size and lack of matched controls, the present study suggests that MBS is effective in achieving significant weight loss and eliciting a significant and sustainable improvement in the glycaemic control of patients with T2DM, for up to 12 months.

Adult ; Bariatric Surgery ; Blood Glucose ; analysis ; Body Mass Index ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; prevention & control ; Female ; Glycated Hemoglobin A ; analysis ; Humans ; Insulin ; blood ; Lipids ; blood ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Obesity, Morbid ; surgery ; Prospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Singapore ; Treatment Outcome

INTRODUCTIONObesity is a key risk factor in the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Bariatric surgery causes a large amount of durable weight loss in those with clinically severe obesity. We reported the effect of weight loss via bariatric surgery on DM prevention in those at high risk of developing DM.

METHODSThis was a retrospective cohort study of 44 patients with obesity (mean body mass index 43.8 kg/m) and pre-DM who underwent bariatric surgery and were followed up for up to three years. We also reviewed a non-surgical cohort of patients with obesity and pre-DM seen at the weight management clinic.

RESULTS91% of patients attained normal glycaemic status at one year after bariatric surgery. At the three-year follow-up, 87.5% of the patients maintained normoglycaemia. None of the patients developed T2DM after surgery. 26.9% of patients achieved absolute weight loss at one year after bariatric surgery and maintained this at two and three years post surgery (p < 0.001 vs. baseline). The homeostatic model assessment-insulin resistance index in patients also decreased from 5.50 at baseline to 1.20, 1.14 and 1.44 at one, two and three years, respectively (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONBariatric surgery produces significant weight loss, and leads to reversion from the pre-diabetic state to normal glycaemic status and reduction of the incident DM rate in those with pre-DM and morbid obesity.