Bariatric Surgery as a Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes in Obese Patients

In two new studies, researchers have compared bariatric surgery and medical therapy in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Investigators at the Cleveland Clinic conducted an industry-sponsored trial in which 150 patients (mean body-mass index [BMI], 37 kg/m²; mean duration of diabetes, 9 years; mean glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA_1c] level, 9.2%) were randomized to receive Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or medical therapy only. At 12 months, patients in the two surgery groups were more likely than medically treated patients (42% and 37%, respectively, vs. 12%) to reach the primary endpoint of HbA_1c level ≤6%.

In a trial at a university hospital in Rome, 60 patients (mean BMI, 45 kg/m²; mean duration of diabetes, 6 years; mean Hb…