Chumakova-Orin, M., Vanetta, C., Moris, D. P., & Guerron, A. D. (2021). Diabetes remission after bariatric surgery. World Journal of Diabetes, 12(7), 1093–1101. Web.
The authors of this article aimed to review the current literature on remission in diabetes patients after bariatric surgery. Consequently, the authors conducted a narrative review of research studies that had earlier investigated the effects of bariatric surgery on diabetes remission. The authors reviewed 34 studies that involved 11,292 patients with type 2 diabetes who had undergone bariatric surgery. These studies included various types of bariatric surgery such as sleeve gastrectomy, gastric banding, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.
The authors also assessed diabetes remission rates at different points in time. The review of the studies led them to hold that bariatric surgery is an effective treatment option for diabetes remission. Overall, they found that the remission rate after bariatric surgery was 78.1%, while it ranged between 37% and 100% depending on the type of surgery and the duration of follow-up. Their analysis led them to conclude that patients who had diabetes for a short time, had a lower BMI, and better glycemic control had higher remission rates.
This article has several strengths and weaknesses, starting with its use of a large number of studies with varied participants, which increases the reliability of the study’s findings. The second strength is that narrative analysis allowed the authors to review multiple studies and identify their common themes. However, the review failed to conduct a network or meta-analysis, which would have provided more quantitative estimates on how bariatric surgery affects diabetes remission. Additionally, the generalizability of the results is limited because the authors did not consider non-surgical interventions for reducing obesity. This study is relevant to the project because it estimates the efficiency of different types of diabetes in achieving diabetes remission.
Dang, J. T., Sheppard, C., Kim, D., Switzer, N., Shi, X., Tian, C., De Gara, C., Karmali, S., & Birch, D. W. (2019). Predictive factors for diabetes remission after bariatric surgery. Canadian Journal of Surgery, 62(5), 315–319. Web.
In this article, the authors seek to identify factors that predict diabetes remission after bariatric surgery. Consequently, they conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 3246 patients who had undergone bariatric surgery to deal with their type-2 diabetes issues. Some of the procedures these patients underwent include Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy. Their assessed remission was one to two years after surgery. Through their analysis, they established that young age, lower BMI, and having type-2 diabetes for a short time were predictive factors in type-2 diabetes remission after bariatric surgery.
They also assessed that patients with lower HbA1c levels, lower fasting glucose levels, and fewer diabetes medications before surgery would likely achieve better type 2 diabetes remission results. Further, they noted that patients with poorly controlled diabetes were likely to benefit from bariatric surgery. Thus, they concluded that these factors were predictive of remission after bariatric surgery and recommended that physicians consider bariatric surgery for patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes.
This study has several strengths and weaknesses, beginning with the fact that a large sample was considered, making its findings more generalizable and relevant. Additionally, the retrospective cohort design enabled the researchers to evaluate preoperative factors in relation to diabetes remission over time. Furthermore, clinicians and patients can utilize the identified predictive factors following bariatric surgery.
However, the research design used could have introduced bias that was not considered during the analysis of the study results. There were no considerations of the long-term effects of bariatric surgery, which jeopardized the study’s potential for generalization. Finally, patients who had managed their type-2 diabetes through other methods were not considered for the study, making it less generalizable. This study will be relevant to the project because it identifies preoperative factors that a physician can use to assess the probability of remission after bariatric surgery.
Guerreiro, V., Neves, J. S., Salazar, D., Ferreira, M. J., Oliveira, S. C., Souteiro, P., Pedro, J., Magalhães, D., Varela, A., Belo, S., Freitas, P., & Carvalho, D. (2019). Long-term weight loss and metabolic syndrome remission after bariatric surgery: The effect of sex, age, metabolic parameters, and surgical technique – a 4-year follow-up study. Obesity Facts, 12(6), 639–652. Web.
In this article, the authors aimed to assess the long-term effects of bariatric surgery on the remission of metabolic syndrome and weight loss. Consequently, they conducted a study involving 180 students who had undergone bariatric surgery to reduce their weight. The researchers followed the students for four years and recorded the results. Some factors they sought to understand regarding weight loss included sex, age, baseline metabolic parameters, and the type of surgery.
The authors found that women and men experienced significant weight reduction after undergoing bariatric surgery. However, the rate of remission from metabolic syndrome was higher among women. The researchers also found that baseline BMI, age, and type of surgery did not affect weight loss and remission rates of metabolic syndrome. They concluded that bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for weight loss and metabolic syndrome.
This study has several strengths and weaknesses, including the fact that following the students for four years provided more comprehensive and accurate results. Additionally, the findings are more generalizable because they encompass both men and women. Further, standardized definitions of metabolic syndrome are used, which are more reliable.
However, the small sample size affects the generalizability of the results. The study’s retrospective design may have caused a bias that was overlooked in the analysis. Finally, the potential complications from bariatric surgery were not considered. This study is relevant to the project because it demonstrates that bariatric surgery is effective in treating obesity, a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes.