Weight Loss Surgery to Treat Type 2 Diabetes: Early Intervention is Important

Wednesday, 05 March 2008 09:12

I get pretty passionate when talking about diabetes as it has infiltrated my family for generations. I watched my healthy grandfather lose his leg and his will to live due to the adult onsite of diabetes, and he wasn't obese. My grandmother died from a heart attack while fishing; at least she was doing something she loved. The heart disease was a result of a complication from diabetes. In general, people don’t “die” from diabetes; it’s the complications and co-morbidities that are associated with the disease that result in a shorter lifespan and/or decreased quality of life.

Many years have passed since both of these events occurred, and medicine has come a long way. Take the LAP-BAND® System as a great example of medical miracles. It means a great deal to me to be involved with a company that helps so many people treat the horrendous disease of diabetes. And, people lose weight—and keep it off—in the process!!

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that patients that participated in surgical therapy were “more likely to achieve remission of type 2 diabetes through greater weight loss.” The study compared patients that underwent conventional diabetes therapy with a focus on weight loss by lifestyle changes versus those that had the LAP-BAND System surgery with conventional diabetes care.

Remission of diabetes? Wow, what a breakthrough for patients. What does this mean?

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes or metabolic syndrome, then early surgical intervention is necessary. Work with your physician to explore metabolic/bariatric surgery as an option for you regarding successful weight loss and diabetes remission. It can happen and it has happened for many patients throughout the world.

In addition, find out the following information about yourself. You will need your physician to perform several of the tests listed. The measures below will help paint a clinical picture and will help your physician know whether or not you may have metabolic syndrome or diabetes.

1. What is your waist size? I reviewed the importance of waist circumference on the last blog. You do not want to be greater than 40 as a male and greater than 35 as a female.
2. What’s your blood pressure? Look to see if it’s higher than 130/85.
3. Is your fasting glucose greater than or equal to 100 mg/dl? You don’t want it to be that high.
4. What about your HDL-C? You want this number to be high so if it’s low it would be less than 40 mg/dl for women and less than 50 mg/dl for men.
5. If your triglyceride level is high, that is a strong indication that something is going on as well. Less than 150 mg/dl is considered normal.
6. Do you have relatives with type 2 diabetes?
7. Are you obese and does obesity run in your family?

Collecting good information about your health and the health of your family members is a great start. You are the captain of your ship, meaning you drive what happens to your body. Don’t give up if you meet roadblocks along the way. You may have to search for a physician that will work with you and one that truly understands this new information about weight loss and metabolic surgery. That’s okay. You are not alone. Take control of your life and make healthy choices.

I hope to hear from you someday that your diabetes is in remission or that your health has taken a turn for the better!!

Remember you can contact me with questions or comments on NewHopeTalk.com in the Carole's Corner Forum or just click here.

Resource:

Adjustable Gastric Banding and Conventional Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes. A Randomized Controlled Trial. John B. Dixon et al. JAMA. January 23, 2008. Vol 299, Non 3.