Type II Diabetes Mellitus is a pandemic that affects almost 3% of the global population. It is estimated that by 2025 380 million people world wide will suffer from the disease, many of them in Asia. Type 2 diabetes is due primarily to lifestyle factors and genetics. A sedentary lifestyle, excessive weight and hypertension are often the trigger to developing the disease. Diabetes is difficult to cure and treatment currently focuses on containing and managing the disease. Life style modifications and strict compliance to diet and drug regimen are paramount in treating diabetes. However, current therapies are far from ideal and the condition of the patient often deteriorates and affects the quality of his or her life.
The first reports suggesting that bariatric surgery may be useful in the treatment of Type II diabetes Mellitus, even in non-morbidly obese patients, appeared in the medical literature 15 years ago. Studies have since shown that more than 80 % of diabetic patients undergoing a weight loss procedure like a gastric bypass, or gastric sleeve regain normal blood sugar control, and resolve their diabetes type II problem. This is especially true for younger patients and patients who have been suffering from diabetes for a shorter period of time. More recently, it has been discovered that bariatric surgery has specific metabolic effects and can improve diabetes even before a significant weight loss has been achieved. Gastric bypass patients routinely see their diabetes disappear within days or weeks after surgery.
Doctors are now starting to wonder if surgery is equally effective in less heavy patients. This is of foremost importance for Asians suffering from Type II diabetes because Asians typically have a higher body fat percentage than Caucasians, which explains why they often develop diabetes at a lower weight and BMI (Body Mass Index). The consensus among professionals is now that Bariatric surgery should be considered for the treatment of diabetes Type II in patients with a BMI of 35 or more, and that it may also be appropriate to treat patients who are mildly obese (BMI 30-35 kg/m2) and are inadequately controlled by lifestyle and medical therapy. The contention is whether the same results can be simulated in diabetics who are not obese, and studies are currently being conducted to evaluate the efficacy and availability of laparoscopic bariatric surgery for Type II Diabetes Mellitus patients with BMI of less than 30. Positive results could shift the paradigm in the treatment of Type II diabetes from managing the disease to actually curing it.
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