Bariatric Surgery Can Be Beneficial for Nonobese

Dr. Nicola Scoparino presented preliminary evidence that another bariatric procedure that's not widely done at present—biliopancreatic diversion—is effective in resolving type 2 diabetes in patients with a BMI of 25-35. Thirty such patients with a mean BMI of 30.6 underwent biliopancreatic diversion, 14 laparoscopically. At a follow-up of 1 year, mean HbA_1c dropped from 9.3% preoperatively to 6.3%, while fasting blood glucose fell from 220 to 136 mg/dL. Most patients were off all diabetes medications.

Outcomes tended to be better in patients with a baseline BMI of 30-35 than in those in the 25-30 class, which is consistent with the notion that when type 2 diabetes manifests in lower-BMI individuals it indicates more severe pancreatic dysfunction, said Dr. Scoparino, professor of surgery at the University of Genoa (Italy).

He disclosed serving as a consultant to Ethicon Endo-Surgery Inc. and GI Dynamics Inc. Dr. De Paula disclosed that his study was partially funded by Covidien.

The low-BMI cohort saw improvement in comorbidities to an extent similar to that of the more obese controls.

Source DR. CHOI