Bariatric Surgery Significantly Decreases the Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Pre-Diabetes Among Morbidly Obese Multiethnic Adults: Long-Term Results
Nestor de la Cruz-Muñoz, Sarah E. Messiah, Guillermo Lopez-Mitnik, Kristopher L. Arheart, Steven E. Lipshultz, Alan Livingstone
- This study of over 1,600 patients found bariatric surgery normalized blood sugar levels across diabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, and pre-diabetes groups, sustained through 3 years.
- A1c dropped more than 2 percentage points, exceeding what most diabetes medications achieve.
- The cohort was two-thirds Hispanic, reflecting Dr. de la Cruz-Muñoz's South Florida community, filling an evidence gap at the time.
- Pre-diabetic and undiagnosed diabetic patients achieved the greatest weight loss, suggesting earlier intervention benefits.
- This supports the American Diabetes Association's current recommendation of metabolic surgery for type 2 diabetes and obesity.
This retrospective analysis of 1,603 multiethnic adults who underwent bariatric surgery from 2002 to 2010 examined the long-term impact on type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. By 1 year, sustained through 3 years, all groups achieved normal fasting plasma glucose levels, with diagnosed diabetics seeing A1c decrease by 2.30%. The study established bariatric surgery as an effective treatment for weight loss and chronic disease risk improvement in ethnically diverse adults.
de la Cruz-Muñoz N, Messiah SE, Lopez-Mitnik G, Arheart KL, Lipshultz SE, Livingstone A. Bariatric Surgery Significantly Decreases the Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Pre-Diabetes Among Morbidly Obese Multiethnic Adults: Long-Term Results. Journal of the American College of Surgeons. 2011;212(4):505-511; discussion 512-513. doi:10.1016/j.jamcollsurg.2010.12.015
