Weight-Loss Surgery Can Help Control Diabetes

Cara Stewart, RD, LDN, a member of the Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery team, explains the importance of diabetes management and the impact of bariatric surgery on blood sugar control.

November is American Diabetes Month as designated by the American Diabetes Association. It is a time to raise awareness about diabetes, its potentially serious complications and effective management strategies.

For people with diabetes, it is important to keep blood sugar levels within a healthy range to prevent damage to blood vessels and nerves. Properly managing blood sugar levels involves making healthful food choices, being physically active, and using medications as prescribed. For people with diabetes and obesity, bariatric surgery may be an option to improve and potentially cure diabetes.

A recent meta-analysis of data published in The American Journal of Medicine reveals the significant impact of bariatric surgery on type 2 diabetes. According to the data, type 2 diabetes was resolved in 84 percent of patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery. For these patients, blood sugar often normalized within days or weeks after surgery, even before they lost significant amounts of weight. Type 2 diabetes was resolved in 48 percent of patients who underwent adjustable gastric banding surgery. For these patients, their type 2 diabetes resolved following post-operative weight loss.

A team of researchers at Penn Medicine is currently conducting a National Institutes of Health funded-study to determine if bariatric surgery, either gastric bypass or adjustable gastric banding surgery, is more effective than lifestyle modification at reducing weight and ultimately treating type 2 diabetes.

To learn more about the Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Program, please visit www.PennMedicine.org/bariatrics.

- Cara Stewart, RD, LDN

Welcome!

Welcome to Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery News. Designed to provide information and inspiration along the journey to better health, Penn Metabolic & Bariatric News is for those trying to lose weight, considering weight loss surgery or recovering from weight loss surgery.

The journey to weight loss or bariatric surgery can be physically and emotionally difficult. That is why the Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery Program wants to equip all prospective and current patients with the information they need to make informed choices for reaching and maintaining their weight loss goals. To learn more about the pre- and post-surgical process at Penn, please click here.

Stay tuned for frequent posts on program updates, news, research studies, tips and helpful resources from the Penn Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery team. Future topics include:

• Keeping your diabetes under control
• Staying hydrated and healthy after weight-loss surgery
• Finding the right protein supplement to meet your nutritional needs

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