- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
Did Study Unlock Secret Why Weight Loss Surgery Reverses Type 2 Diabetes?
A small amount of fat loss from the pancreas reverses type 2 diabetes for obese patients.
A study just published in Diabetes Care may have uncovered the reason why type 2 diabetes (T2D) disappears in some obese patients who have weight loss surgery.
The connection between gastric bypass surgery and reversal of T2D has been observed for some time, so much so that the procedure may be recommended for patients at a lower body mass index (BMI) if they have disease than for those without. The study from Newcastle University in the United Kingdom finds that it’s all about getting rid of fat in the pancreas. And in these cases, a little goes a long way.
Researchers who studied 18 obese patients both before and after surgery found too much fat in the pancreas prevented insulin secretion and caused type 2 diabetes. And losing just a single gram of fat could be enough for insulin secretion to return to normal levels.
The problem, however, is that significant overall weight loss is needed before the pancreas loses enough fat to make a difference. In this case, patients needed to lose about 13% of their body weight, which drives the loss of 1.2% of fat from their pancreas. This lets patients come off their medication and their insulin levels return to normal.
Roy Taylor, MD, lead researcher on the team, said in a statement from the university, “For people with type 2 diabetes, losing weight allows them to drain excess fat out of the pancreas and allows function to return to normal. So if you ask how much weight you need to lose to make your diabetes go away, the answer is 1 gram! But that gram needs to be fat from the pancreas. At present the only way we have to achieve this by calorie restriction by any means—whether by diet or an operation.”
The team also looked at 9 patients who did not have diabetes before surgery, and the amount of fat in the pancreas remained about the same.
Levels of fat in the pancreas were measured using a highly sensitive MRI. Because the number of patients in this study was extremely small, it’s important for future studies to replicate them, and for follow-up work to find out if T2D remains at bay as long as high fat levels do not return in the pancreas.
Reference
Steven S, Hollingsworth KG, Small PK, et al. Weight loss decreases excess pancreatic triacylglyceral specifically in type 2 diabetes [published online December 1, 2015]. Diabetes Care. 2015; doi: 10.2337/dc15-0750.
Intensive Blood Pressure Regimen Lowers CVD Risk for People With Diabetes
November 19th 2024Reducing systolic blood pressure to less than 120 mmHg lowered the risk of major cardiovascular events for most people with type 2 diabetes in the Blood Pressure Control Target in Diabetes trial.
Read More
Exploring Pharmaceutical Innovations, Trust, and Access With CVS Health's CMO
July 11th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the chief medical officer of CVS Health about recent pharmaceutical innovations, patient-provider relationships, and strategies to reduce drug costs.
Listen
Contributor: The Diabetes Vendor Resource Guide—A Useful Directory for Employers
November 13th 2024Employees living with diabetes often face unique challenges, such as managing blood sugar levels, balancing medication, and preventing complications, all while maintaining their professional responsibilities. This condition can lead to increased absenteeism, reduced productivity, and rising health care costs.
Read More
How Can Employers Leverage the DPP to Improve Diabetes Rates?
February 15th 2022On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Jill Hutt, vice president of member services at the Greater Philadelphia Business Coalition on Health, explains the Coalition’s efforts to reduce diabetes rates through the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP).
Listen
