Researchers find obesity surgery is powerful weapon against diabetes

By: Associated Press | WNCT
Published: January 22, 2008

» Comments | Post a Comment

CHICAGO (AP) - It's the strongest evidence so far that obesity surgery can cure diabetes.

Australian researchers found that patients who had surgery to reduce the size of their stomachs were five times more likely to see their diabetes disappear over the next two years, compared with patients who had standard diabetes care.

Most of the surgery patients were able to stop taking diabetes drugs and achieve normal blood tests.

The study's lead author calls the surgery "the best therapy for diabetes that we have today." And he says it comes with "very low risk."

The patients had stomach band surgery. It's a procedure more common in Australia than in the United States. In the U.S., gastric bypass surgery, or stomach stapling, is the main technique that's used.

Another doctor, who wrote an accompanying editorial but wasn't involved in the research, says gastric bypass is even more effective against diabetes.

The research is in the Journal of the American Medical Association.