How Bariatric Surgery Helps Type 2 Diabetes
Excess weight can lead to systemic health problems, like hypertension and heart disease. Bariatric surgery helps patients shed extra weight quickly, which can vastly improve or reverse many systemic conditions.
At Oasis of Hope Bariatrics, we provide numerous bariatric solutions for safe and effective weight loss in Tijuana, Mexico. With decades of experience, our compassionate team has noted the incredible link between bariatric surgery and diabetes.
But, exactly how does bariatric surgery improve type 2 diabetes? Here, our team explains how weight-loss surgery affects insulin resistance and what that means for you long-term.
Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes
Having excess weight can seriously impact the way our bodies operate. For example, extra fatty tissue inhibits the body’s ability to produce insulin, which is necessary to send glucose into our cells. If there isn’t enough insulin in our systems, then glucose can’t enter our cells. Instead, it builds up in the bloodstream and leads to damaging health conditions, like type 2 diabetes.
Research suggests that patients who are obese are six times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. And, once a patient develops diabetes, they’ll have to monitor their blood sugar, take expensive medications, and alter their lifestyle to control the disease.
Counteracting Type 2 Diabetes
Medical professionals have noted that weight loss in any form drastically improves insulin production. This improvement leads to better glucose transport into cells, which diminishes the amount of glucose in the blood.
Many doctors recommend bariatric surgery to their overweight, diabetic patients to manage, treat, and even reverse type 2 diabetes. In the months following bariatric surgery, patients will notice their hemoglobin A1C values dropping as they shed excess weight. But, many patients experience an improvement in A1C values immediately following the procedure.
Experts are still studying this remarkable phenomenon, but many believe that there are two factors at play:
- Bariatric procedures, particularly gastric bypass, effectively limit the amount of food that patients can eat. This allows their body to keep up with insulin demand better.
- Repositioning the intestines during bariatric surgery prompts the body to release a non-insulin glucose transporter known as GLUT-1. The cascading release of GLUT-1 removes glucose from the blood and transports it into cells.
Long-Term Benefits of Bariatric Surgery on Diabetes
The life-changing benefits of bariatric surgery on type 2 diabetes are numerous. Perhaps the greatest benefit is less reliance on expensive medications and insulin injections. In fact, many of our patients stop relying on medications and insulin injections altogether.
Type 2 diabetes is associated with several other comorbidities, like heart disease. But, bariatric surgery’s positive effect on type 2 diabetes leads to a noticeable improvement in other systemic health conditions, too. As a result, patients greatly enhance their overall health and quality of life.
Finally, an improvement in systemic health generally leads to a longer, happier life. Ultimately, patients who seek bariatric surgery to treat or manage their diabetes are investing in themselves and a healthier future.
Talk to Us About Bariatric Surgery and Diabetes Today
If you’re living with obesity and type 2 diabetes, then it’s time to take back control of your life. The compassionate team at Oasis of Hope Bariatrics is here to help you reclaim your life with effective bariatric solutions.
To schedule your consultation, contact us online or call our Tijuana office directly at (619) 690-8417.