Poor blood sugar control before bariatric surgery may result in less weight loss: Study

Paris, France: Patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) who have poor blood sugar control prior to sleeve gastrectomy (SG) experience less weight loss, suggests a recent study in the journal Obesity Surgery. The results implies that blood sugar control is an important parameter that should be considered for the outcome of bariatric surgery.

Sleeve gastrectomy is a bariatric procedure that is performed most frequently. It induces significant weight loss but the results vary from individual to individual. T2D is known to negatively impact the weight loss outcomes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). In this study, Marc Diedisheim, Paris Descartes University, Paris, France, and colleagues aimed to evaluate whether and how T2D status impacts body composition and weight loss changes after SG in patients with or without T2D. 

The researchers retrospectively included patients with obesity operated from SG (373 patients including 152 with T2D) and prospectively followed. The clinical characteristics of all the subjects were collected before and during 4 years of follow-up post-SG. 

"When undergoing SG, subjects with obesity and T2D who have poor pre-operative glycemic control display reduced weight-loss and less improvement in body composition compared to patients with obesity but without T2D. This result suggests that glycemic control prior to surgery is important to take into account for the outcome of bariatric surgery," concluded the authors. 

"Weight Loss After Sleeve Gastrectomy: Does Type 2 Diabetes Status Impact Weight and Body Composition Trajectories?," is published in the journal Obesity Surgery.

DOI: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11695-020-05075-1