The Role of Bariatric Surgery in the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes: Current Evidence and Clinical Guidelines

Sleeve gastrectomy attenuated diabetes-related cognitive decline in diabetic rats

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) on diabetes-related cognitive decline (DCD) in rats with diabetic mellitus (DM).

METHODS AND METHODS

Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into control (CON) group (n=10), diabetes mellitus (DM) group (n=10), sham operation (SHAM) group (n=10) and SG group (n=10). DM model was established by high-fat diet (HFD) combined with intraperitoneal injection of streptozocin (STZ). Behavioral evaluation was given using Morris water maze test and Y-maze. In addition, PET-CT, TUNEL assay, histological analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot analysis were used to evaluate the alleviating effects and potential mechanisms of SG on DCD in DM rats.

RESULTS

Compared with the sham group, SG induced significant improvement in the metabolic indices such as blood glucose and body weight. Besides, it could attenuate the insulin resistance compared with SHAM group. In addition, SG could improve the cognitive function of DM rats, which were featured by significant decrease in the escape latency (P<0.05), and significant increase in the time in target quadrant and platform crossings (P<0.05) compared with the SHAM group. SG induced significant elevation in the spontaneous alternation compared with SHAM group (P<0.05). Moreover, SG could improve the arrangement and biosynthesis of hippocampus neuron. Moreover, SG triggered the inhibition of apoptosis of hippocampus neurons, and Western blot analysis showed SG induced significant increase in the ratios of Bcl-2/Bax and Caspase3/cleaved Caspase 3. TEM demonstrated SG could significantly improve the microstructure of hippocampus neurons compared with the SHAM group. Western blot and IHC confirmed the significant decrease in the phosphorylation of tau at Ser404 and Ser396 sites in the SG group. Furthermore, SG activated the PI3K signaling pathway by elevating the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt and GSK3β compared with the SHAM group.

CONCLUSION

SG attenuated the DCD in DM rats, which may be related to the activation of PI3K signaling pathway.

Defining and Using Preoperative Predictors of Diabetic Remission Following Bariatric Surgery

BACKGROUND

Diabetes remission is defined as the return of glycemic control in the absence of medication or insulin use after bariatric surgery. We sought to identify and assess the clinical utility of a predictive model for remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a population seeking bariatric surgery.

METHOD

A retrospective cohort design was applied to presurgical data on patients referred for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) or vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG). The model developed from logistic regression was compared with a published model through receiver operating characteristic analyses.

RESULTS

At 12 months postoperatively, 59.7% of the cohort was remitted, with no differences between RYGB and VSG. Logistic regression analyses yielded a model in which 4 preoperative variables reliably predicted remission. A Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test result of 0.204 indicated good fit of the developed prediction model to our outcome data. The predictive accuracy of this prediction model was compared with a published model, and an associated variation with diabetes years was substituted for age in our patient population. Our model was the most accurate.

CONCLUSIONS

Using these predictors, healthcare providers may be able to better counsel patients who are living with diabetes and considering bariatric surgery on the likelihood of achieving remission from the intervention. This refined prediction model requires further testing in a larger sample to evaluate its external validity.

Metabolic surgery: roux-en-Y gastric bypass and variables associated with diabetes remission in patients with BMI <35

Metabolic results of bariatric surgery have determined an expansion of its traditional indications, being increasingly performed in non-severely obese patients, especially in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our aim is to determine the effectiveness of laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) in T2DM remission in patients with body mass index (BMI) below 35 kg/m(2) and the variables associated with T2DM remission after surgery. Retrospective analysis of diabetic patients with BMI <35 kg/m(2) who underwent LRYGB in our center between 2002 and 2010 was done. We analyzed patient's demographics, comorbidities, BMI, excess weight loss percentage (EWLp), complications, and metabolic results at 3 years. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine variables associated with T2DM remission. One hundred patients were included. Sixty patients (60 %) were women; median age was 48 years old (interquartile range (IQR) 42-54), and median preoperative BMI was 32.7 kg/m(2) (IQR 31.6-34.1). Median preoperative duration of T2DM was 4 years (IQR 2-7), with 49, 30, 2, and 18 % on treatment with one, two, and three hypoglycemic agents and insulin, respectively. Ninety-four percent achieved 36-month follow-up, and at this time, median EWLp was 93 % (IQR 67-121). A total of 53.2, 9.6, 25.5, and 11.7 % achieved a T2DM complete remission, partial remission, improvement, and no improvement, respectively. T2DM remission only was associated with non-insulin use in multivariate analysis, with an OR = 15.1 (2.8-81.2) and p = 0.002. LRYGB is a reliable and effective treatment in diabetic patients with a BMI <35 kg/m(2) at 3 years. T2DM remission's best results are observed in non-insulin diabetic patients.

Rapid Reduction in Use of Antidiabetic Medication after Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: The Newfoundland and Labrador Bariatric Surgery Cohort (BaSCo) Study

BACKGROUND

Patients who have undergone bariatric surgery generally need fewer medications as they experience improvement in, or even resolution of, various medical conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Published data on changes in medication use after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, a type of bariatric surgery that is growing in popularity, are limited.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether patients took fewer medications for management of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, relative to preprocedure medications.

METHODS

In this prospective, single-centre cohort study, a nurse practitioner used standard medication reconciliation and study data-extraction forms to interview adult patients who had undergone laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and determine their medication use and pertinent demographic data. The data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations and standard statistical software. Outcome measures included changes in the use of antidiabetic, antihypertensive, and antilipemic medications at 1, 3, and 6 months after the surgery.

RESULTS

A total of 65 patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy between May 2011 and January 2014 met the study inclusion criteria. Before surgery, the 30 patients with type 2 diabetes were taking an average of 1.9 antidiabetic medications. One month after the procedure, 15 (50%) had discontinued all antidiabetic medications, with a further decline at 3 and 6 months (p < 0.001 at each time point). Among the patients who were taking antihypertensives (n = 48) and antilipemics (n = 33) before surgery, the decline in use occurred at a more modest rate, with 6 (12%) and 2 (6%), respectively, discontinuing these medication classes within 1 month, and 12 (25%) (p = 0.001) and 8 (24%) (p = 0.015) having discontinued by 6 months.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that patients with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and/or dyslipidemia who undergo laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy are less likely to require disease-specific medications shortly after surgery.

Bariatric surgery for metabolic syndrome in obesity

Metabolic syndrome is closely associated with morbid obesity and leads to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases and related mortality. Bariatric surgery is considered an effective option for the management of this condition. We searched MEDLINE, Current Contents, and the Cochrane Library for papers published on bariatric surgery outcomes in English from January 1, 1990, to April 20, 2014. Bariatric surgery can significantly reduce body weight, resolve or cure many of the symptoms of metabolic syndrome, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and improve long-term survival. Surgery, in addition to existing therapy, could therefore be considered as an optimal treatment for patients with metabolic syndrome and morbid obesity.