Metabolic or bariatric surgery is more effective and durable than medical and lifestyle interventions for achieving T2D remission, according to a study published in Diabetes Care. John P. Kirwan, PhD, and colleagues assessed the durability and 3-year effectiveness of metabolic surgery versus medical and lifestyle management in 316 patients (BMI, 27-45 kg/m²) with T2D. Diabetes remission was achieved in more participants following surgery than medical and lifestyle intervention (37.5% vs 2.6%). After surgery, there were also greater reductions in A1C (-1.9 vs -0.1), fasting plasma glucose (-52 vs -12 mg/dL), and BMI (-8.0 vs -1.8 kg/ m²). Finally, the percentages of patients using medications to control diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia were all lower after surgery. “It is our hope that physicians will have greater confidence in recommending bariatric surgery to their patients, and that health insurers will see the health benefits and, ultimately, cost savings that can be achieved by covering metabolic surgery,” Dr. Kirwan said in a statement
