Diabesity - Diabetes as it relates to Obesity
Diabetes rates have doubled in 10 states in the past 15 years. In 1995, Connecticut had a diabetes rate of five and a half percent. Now the diabetes rate is around seven percent. Type II diabetes affects more than 170 million people worldwide. We are in the middle of a type II diabetes epidemic and the numbers continue to escalate. The epidemic is strongly correlated with increases in obesity; thus the term “diabesity” has been coined to describe the confluence of the two disease processes.
Diabetes has serious medical implications
When a person suffers from type II diabetes, the cells in the body do not use insulin properly or the body does not produce enough insulin to control blood sugar, also known as glucose. Without insulin, the body is unable to process glucose for energy. This leads to elevated blood sugar levels, causing devastation on the body. Long term complications of diabetes include:
- Heart disease
- Blindness
- Nerve damage than can lead to amputations
- Kidney damage
Symptoms of diabetes
Unfortunately, many patients who have diabetes are not aware that they have it. Some symptoms that should raise a red flag include:
- Increased thirst and dry mouth
- Frequent urination
- Blurred vision, decreased vision and headaches
- Fatigue (weak, tired feeling)
- Slow-healing sores or cuts
- frequent yeast infections
- Tingling or numbness of the hands and feet
Symptoms can range in severity and can be somewhat confusing, so it is recommended to have diabetes screens done annually. It is recommended that several different tests be performed at different times to ensure a correct diagnosis.
Diagnosis and Treatment of diabetes
The first line of treatment for most persons diagnosed with diabetes isa change in diet andincreased physical activity. One goal of the lifestyle changes is to decrease obesity in order to be better able to manage diabetes. Eventually, medications can be prescribed to help the body produce more insulin or help use the insulin that it produces more efficiently. If these medications do not work, a person is prescribed insulin.
Even with aggressive medical treatment, persons who suffer from obesity may have difficulty controlling their diabetes. Further, over the long-term, even people with what is described as good diabetic control can still suffer from the devastating effects of diabetes such as limb loss, blindness, cardiovascular disease and may need to go on dialysis due to complications of kidney disease. Bariatric surgery, also known as weight loss surgery or metabolic surgery, can be helpful in bringing diabetes into remission, especially if the surgery is performed within 5 years of diagnosis of diabetes.
Bariatric Surgery and diabetesremission
Bariatric surgery is not a cure for diabetes. Studies have shown, however, that weight loss surgery such as the Gastric Bypass, the Sleeve Gastrectomy and the Lap-Band System can bring diabetes into remission. Gastric Bypass is particularly effective with patients who have already been suffering from diabetes for several years. Bariatric surgery in people with severe obesity and type II diabetes leads to major weight loss and remission of diabetes in many cases. With the Gastric Bypass blood glucose levels are normalized, often within days of surgery. This allows for the reduction or elimination of medications. The exact physiological mechanisms of howGastric Bypass affects blood glucose levels is being researched around the world, but the consensus is that long-term, sustained, major weight loss keeps diabetes in check.
Bariatric surgery is an appropriate treatment for people with type II diabetes and obesity. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) states that “bariatric surgery should not be seen as a last resort in obese patients with type II diabetes but instead should be added to the treatment algorithms for these patients”. The effectiveness of weight loss surgery on diabetes has been known within the bariatric surgery community for many years, but now we are seeing endocrinologists and primary care physicians refer patients to Dr. Tim Ehrlich because of the impact it has on the disease of diabetes.
To learn more about which bariatric procedure may be right for you to help prevent diabetes or to bring diabetes into remission, please consider attending a free seminar. Dr. Tim Ehrlich will be glad to take the time and meet with you to discuss your specific health concerns and which procedure may be better suited for your particular needs. You can read about patient stories of how metabolic surgery was the key in controlling their diabetes by clicking here.
