Gastric Bypass Proven Effective for Long-Term Management of Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity: Study

Gastric bypass, a weight-loss surgery, has been shown to keep type 2 diabetes in remission for up to 15 years and maintain significant weight loss for up to 20 years. These findings come from one of the largest long-term studies of patients who have undergone the procedure.

The study was presented at the 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity affects 42.4% of individuals. Studies show the disease can weaken or impair the body’s immune system cause chronic inflammation and increase the risk of many other diseases and conditions including cardiovascular disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Gastric bypass surgery is a type of weight-loss surgery that involves creating a small pouch from the stomach and connecting it directly to the small intestine. This procedure helps patients lose weight by restricting food intake and altering the digestion process. By reducing the size of the stomach, gastric bypass limits the amount of food a person can eat at one time and also affects the absorption of nutrients. The surgery can lead to significant and sustained weight loss, as well as improvements in obesity-related conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

In the study, researchers at Geisinger Medical Center conducted a comprehensive analysis of 2,045 patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery between 2001 and 2008, tracking their outcomes for up to 20 years. The study focused on diabetes remission rates and weight-loss achievements among participants, who had an average age of 46 years and a body mass index (BMI) of 47.9 before surgery.

Among the 677 patients with pre-operative diabetes, 54% experienced remission at the three-year mark, but this rate decreased to 38% after 15 years. Notably, only about 10% of those with insulin-dependent diabetes achieved remission within the same timeframe, and persistent diabetes rates were higher in individuals who required insulin treatment before surgery.

The study observed peak weight loss of 31.8% occurring around 18 months post-surgery, stabilizing at 23% for 10 to 20 years.

“With the availability of medical and endoscopic therapies, the demonstration of long-term effectiveness of gastric bypass that exceeds that of these alternatives is critical to providing the right intervention for the right patient at the right time. The study is an important contribution to the current understanding of long-term outcomes of gastric bypass because of the extremely high follow-up rates,” said the study authors.

Reference: John Nguyen, Michael Fure, , Luis Pina, et al,; Long Term (> 15 Year) Outcomes Following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass; AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR METABOLIC AND BARIATRIC SURGERY