New 2018 Diabetes Canada Guidelines - Weight Management

As an author of the Weight Management chapter of the new 2018 Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines, I'm thrilled to share with you some key points and exciting changes!

So what is new since the last guidelines in 2013?

1.  People first language.  We have made an important change in the entire 2018 Diabetes Canada guidelines in the way we talk about obesity.  Obesity is a diagnosis, and not a way to describe a person.  Thus, instead of the terminology 'overweight or obese people', the correct terminology is 'people with overweight or obesity'.  This is a critical step in breaking down the stigma against obesity!


2.  New information on medications for weight management in type 2 diabetes.  Liraglutide (Saxenda) is a new medication available for weight management in Canada since the last guidelines.

(note: Naltrexone/Bupropion (Contrave) is now approved in Canada as well, but this approval occurred after the literature reviews for the Guidelines were completed, so is not included in this iteration)

Medications for weight management have not been adequately studied in people with type 1 diabetes.


3.  Updates on bariatric surgery:

• Gastric banding is not as effective as other bariatric procedures for type 2 diabetes control or remission.  
• Predictors of who is more likely to enjoy type 2 diabetes remission after bariatric surgery include a shorter duration of diabetes, younger age, not needing insulin preoperatively, and higher preoperative serum C-peptide (a marker of insulin production). 
• An update on the effect of bariatric surgery on complications of diabetes is discussed as well.
• The BMI criteria for bariatric surgery remain unchanged.  Evidence of risk and outcomes of bariatric surgery for people with a BMI of 30-35 is limited and cannot be recommended at this time. 
• Bariatric surgery has not been adequately studied in people with type 1 diabetes. 

KEY MESSAGES: 

1. Sustained weight loss of 5% or more can improve diabetes control and cardiovascular risk factors.

2.  In people with diabetes and obesity, weight loss and improvement in diabetes control can be achieved with healthy behaviour interventions.  Weight management medications can improve diabetes and metabolic control.

3.  Bariatric surgery may be considered appropriate for people with diabetes and obesity.

4.  When selecting the most appropriate diabetes medications, the effect on body weight should be considered.



KEY MESSAGES FOR PEOPLE WITH DIABETES: 

1. When you have diabetes, having overweight or obesity increases your risk for complications.

2.  Healthy behaviour modifications, including regular physical activity and eating well can help with your blood sugar control, and reduce your risk for other health problems associated with diabetes.

3.  Your diabetes health care team can help you with weight management.  For some people with diabetes, weight management medications and bariatric surgery may be helpful.

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Does Gastric Bypass Surgery Save Lives Only In People With Diabetes?

While we know that weight loss of just 5-10% is associated with an improvement in many parameters of health, the only treatment for obesity that has been suggested to reduce mortality is bariatric surgery.  A new study suggests that if gastric bypass surgery reduces mortality, it may be people with diabetes in particular who enjoy this benefit.

The study, published in Diabetes Care, matched 2,428 people in their database who had gastric bypass surgery by age, BMI, gender, and diabetes status to a control group in the database who had not had surgery.

They found that for the 625 people who had diabetes before gastric bypass surgery, their risk of death from any cause was reduced by 56% at 5.8 years after surgery, compared to people who had diabetes but hadn't had surgery.  In particulary, death from cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and diabetes were lower in the group who had surgery.  The reduction in mortality was the greatest for people whose diabetes went into remission after surgery.

For the 1,803 people who didn't have diabetes before gastric bypass surgery, the risk of death at 6.7 years after surgery was not significantly different than those who didn't have diabetes and didn't have surgery.  When they boiled it down, the risk of death from cancer and lung diseases was lower in the people who had had gastric bypass surgery, but the risk of death from external causes (including injuries, overdose, and suicide) was higher, especially for younger people.

This study is the first to suggest that a reduction in all-cause mortality after gastric bypass surgery may be limited to people who have diabetes before surgery.  However, even if people without diabetes don't enjoy enhanced life expectancy overall, remember that there are still many health benefits to be enjoyed from bariatric surgery.   It's also important to emphasize that this study is retrospective, meaning that researchers looked back in time and analyzed pre existing data.  This type of data can be muddied by other factors that can't be controlled for (called 'confounding factors'), so we have to take them with a grain of salt.

The increased death risk from injuries, overdose, and suicide for people without diabetes who had surgery needs attention. It is known that there is a higher risk of self harm after surgery, pointing towards the need for psychological counselling and support both pre and post surgery.  There is still very little known about how bariatric surgery changes the absorption of medications and other substances, increasing the risk of potential overdose; further studies are desperately needed in this area.

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How Successful is Gastric Bypass Surgery 12 Years Later?

We know that gastric bypass surgery is a powerful tool in the management of obesity and metabolic syndrome.  However, there is not a lot of data available following patients out over the very long term.  A recent study is the first prospective study looking only at Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, to give us data out as far as 12 years.

The study, published by Adams and colleagues in the New England Journal of Medicine, enrolled 418 patients in Utah, USA who underwent gastric bypass surgery, and compared them over the long term to 417 patients who wanted surgery but did not have surgery (primarily because of lack of financial insurance coverage), and a third group of 321 patients with obesity who were not interested in surgery. They had an excellent rate of follow up of over 90% of patients at 12 years.

Here are some of the key findings: (skip to take home messages below for the short version)

1.  Weight loss:

• Two years after gastric bypass surgery, the mean weight loss was 45 kg. 
• At 6 years postop, the mean weight loss was 36.3kg (so there was about 20% weight regain, which is very consistent across studies).
• At 12 years postop, the mean weight loss was 35kg – so weight was overall stable from 6 years to 12 years after surgery.

 [At 12 years, people who wanted surgery but didn’t have it had lost 2.9 kg (probably because they were part of this study), and people with obesity who did not want surgery had lost 0 kg (also notable for no weight gain over the long term).]

2.  Type 2 diabetes:

Among patients in the surgery group who had type 2 diabetes before surgery:

• At 2 years postop, 75% of diabetes had gone into remission.
• At 6 years postop, 62% of diabetes cases were in remission
• At 12 years postop, 51% of diabetes cases were in remission.
• The likelihood of diabetes being in diabetes remission at 12 years was 8.9 times higher for those who had had surgery compared to those who wanted but did not get surgery, and 14.8 times higher than those who did not want surgery in the first place.
• At 12 years, the likelihood of being in diabetes remission was highest in people who had diet controlled diabetes before surgery (remission rate 73%), less for people who needed pills to treat their diabetes before surgery (remission rate 56%), and lowest for people who required insulin to treat their diabetes before surgery (remission rate 16%). 
• At 12 years, there was a 91-92% lower risk of having new type 2 diabetes develop in patients who had had bariatric surgery, compared to the non surgery groups.

3.  Mortality rates:

At 12 years, mortality in people who had gastric bypass surgery was lower than those who wanted surgery but didn’t get it, but there no different between those who had gastric bypass surgery than those who didn’t want surgery in the first place, likely because the group not wanting surgery was healthier at baseline. There were 5 suicides in the group that had bariatric surgery, compared to 2 suicides in the non surgical group.  (see here and here and here for discussion of suicide risk after bariatric surgery ) 

Take home messages from this study:

• On average, weight loss is stable over the long term after gastric bypass surgery – though the results can be different for different people, and certainly lifelong dedication to permanent lifestyle changes are essential for continued success.

• Gastric bypass surgery can be a powerful tool to not only put diabetes into remission, but also to decrease the risk of developing diabetes later on.  Earlier intervention is better, because the longer a person has diabetes, the more tired their pancreas gets (ie decreased beta cell function, which are the cells that produce insulin), and a tired pancreas may be too tired to control blood sugars after bariatric surgery without help from medication.  Thus, considering bariatric surgery early in the course of diabetes, or even in the prediabetes phase, may have the most powerful impact.

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Mental Health and Bariatric Surgery - Canadian Data

We know that there is a relationship between mental health and obesity, with mental health issues such as depression being associated with an increased risk of obesity, and with the risk of mental health issues developing increasing as weight increases. In people with more pronounced obesity who are considering bariatric surgery as a treatment option, it is important to consider how mental illness may impact the efficacy and safety of surgical treatment for obesity.

These issues were beautifully summarized in a recent review by Val Taylor and colleagues, published in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes, with a focus on Canadian data.

Here are a few of the highlights:

1. How common are mental health issues in Canadian bariatric surgery patients? 

Over half of patients presenting in Ontario for bariatric surgery had a history of mental illness (most commonly depression). Neither a history of depression nor bipolar disorder seem to be associated with success of weight loss with bariatric surgery, but stability and control of mental health issues preoperatively is important to optimize success.  The prevalence and severity of depression in the bariatric population are consistently decreased after surgery – but there is a risk of development of depression for some people as well, which may be related to some of the psychological challenges that can present after surgery.  Many people with mental health issues are taking medications to treat these conditions, and absorption of these meds may be affected after surgery, so close monitoring to ensure good control of the mental health issue after surgery is important.

2. Eating disorders:

Binge eating disorder (BED) has a prevalence of up to 30% in people presenting for bariatric surgery, with the data conflicting on whether BED reduces the success of weight loss with bariatric surgery. Management of the feeling of loss of control and regulation of emotions in these individuals are important factors to help reducing binge eating in this group.

Active bulimia is a contraindication to bariatric surgery.

3. Suicide risk:

While depression usually improves after surgery, the risk of suicide is increased after bariatric surgery, with a multitude of possible reasons/contributors behind this fact.  The risk of self harm seems to be increased at least 3 years after surgery, so long term psychological follow up and support of bariatric patients is essential.

4. What if there is a past history of sexual abuse?

A history of sexual abuse is present in 21.5% of people in the Ontario Bariatric Surgery Registry.  While this does not appear to influence the success of surgery, these individuals are at a higher risk of mental health issues such as depression, speaking to the need for proper assessment and follow up.

5.  Substance use/abuse:

A history of substance use (alcohol, tobacco, or recreational/illicit drugs) seems to be correlated with a risk of substance use after surgery, particularly if the substance use history is near to the time of surgery.  Alcohol abuse is a particular risk, as alcohol hits harder and fasterafter surgery.  A ‘transfer’ of addictions from one thing to another (eg, from food to gambling) after surgery has been described, and should be discussed and managed ahead of time.

Most often, mental health issues can generally be well managed to optimize success of the individual undergoing bariatric surgery.  Identifying and managing these issues before surgery is essential, and long term support after surgery is key as well.

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Obesity, Addiction, Alcohol and Bariatric Surgery Part II

We know that the factors behind each individual's struggle with obesity are unique, with a long list of physiologic, psychological, and environmental factors as potential contributors.  We are also learning increasingly that there are many areas of neurophysiologic (brain), psychological and behavioral overlap in the realms of obesity and addiction.

In part I of this two-part blog post, we discussed some of the changes that happen after bariatric surgery, as discussed in a recent review.

Now, some threads that weave a connection for some people between obesity and addiction: 

1.  For some people, food is an addictive substance.  People who have high scores on food addiction questionnaires have similar patterns of brain activation as in people with other addictions.  Also, overconsumption of certain nutrients (eg sugar) elicits chemical responses in our brains, similar to those that result from consumption of drugs or alcohol.

Some people think that combatting a food addiction is no different than trying to quit smoking.  But remember, a person who quits smoking can (and ideally will) lead their life without ever touching another cigarette.  But the person battling a food addiction can't stop eating - they have to continue to eat for the rest of their lives, while controlling the addictive component that leads to overeating: a very, very difficult thing to do. 

2.  Some people with obesity have more 'turbo-charged' food reward circuits in their brains, which results in a powerful drive to seek high calorie food.  Obesity can also be accompanied by a reduced brain-driven ability to resist temptation and control impulses to eat, with data suggesting that there is a genetic component to these differences.  After gastric bypass surgery, research has identified some changes in this brain activity, and these changes may be associated with the amount of weight lost after surgery.

Know that feeling of: I am so hungry I don't care what it is it just has to happen RIGHT NOW...?
For some people, this feeling may come only if meals are skipped for many hours, or after a fierce workout.  For others, they may feel like this until their body is at a higher body weight 'set point'.  The level of energy reserves, or time from last meal that contributes to the threshold for this feeling to set in, is very different from person to person.

So for people who have a food addiction, as well as for people who have a more powerful reward circuitry, weight management will be difficult, but not impossible - having a psychologist with professional training in obesity management is an important part of the team to help manage their weight struggles.

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Obesity, Addiction, Alcohol and Bariatric Surgery Part I

We know that the factors behind each individual's struggle with obesity are unique, with a long list of physiologic, psychological, and environmental factors as potential contributors.  We are also learning increasingly that there are many areas of neurophysiologic, psychological and behavioural overlap in the realms of obesity and addiction.  A recent review draws on our knowledge of alcohol use after bariatric surgery to help us understand these connections.

After gastric bypass surgery:

• 9.4% of patients who have had gastric bypass surgery report a period of excessive alcohol intake at some point after surgery
• 7% of patients with no preoperative history of excessive alcohol intake develop a problem after surgery
• middle aged females seem to be at higher risk
• post bariatric surgery addiction problems seem to be fairly specific to alcohol (though addictions to other substances, or activities such as gambling are also seen - see 'addiction transference' below)
• when a person who has had gastric bypass surgery drinks alcohol, there is a faster rise, higher peak, and longer duration of blood alcohol levels 

Interestingly, some people who were frequent alcohol consumers before surgery actually have a decreased enjoyment of alcohol after surgery, which may be mediated by an increase in the gut hormone GLP-1, and a decrease in the hunger hormone ghrelin.

Psychological and social factors can also have a big influence on alcohol consumption after surgery.  As blogged previously, food addiction seeking a new outlet (called 'addiction transference') may be a factor for some people.  A need for a coping mechanism as a person watches their body change after surgery may be involved.   Some may reach for alcohol as a way to manage the complex psychological issues that can arise after surgery. 

Stay tuned for the next blog post, where I'll discuss some of the parallels between obesity and addiction discussed in this review. 

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After Bariatric Surgery - Pateints' Perspectives

There is no doubt that bariatric surgery is a hot topic of research these days.  Most of this research focuses on the medical benefits that can be enjoyed after bariatric surgery, such as improvements in diabetes control, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and so forth.  Much less qualitative research has been done - the kind of research that looks at things that are hard to measure with numbers, such as psychological effects and changes in quality of life. Most of the qualitative information that has been published is on small groups of individuals, and it is challenging for patients or clinicians to synthesize this smattering of data as a whole.

Coulman and colleagues recently collected information on this topic in the first systematic review of qualitative research in the bariatric surgery field.  Published in Obesity Reviews (and free to download!), they included 33 studies reporting on the patient perspective on living with the outcomes of bariatric surgery.

Three themes were identified:

1.  Control.  Patients reported making the decision to undergo bariatric surgery to gain control over eating, weight, and health.  In general, a feeling of improved control was experienced in the first year after surgery, but after a year, there was less of a sense of physical control (described as 'stomach control'), and it became more about relying on their own 'head control' to manage food intake.

2. Normality.  A sense of 'normality' was something that many patients were striving for after bariatric surgery - lives less burdened by physical and psychological ill health, ability to participate in normal everyday activities, and what patients described as a more 'socially acceptable' appearance.  While many people felt more 'normal' after surgery, there were also several issues identified that challenged patients' desire to feel 'normal'.  This included a change in their own or others' perceptions of their bodies, unpleasant gastrointestinal side effects (eg vomiting or diarrhoea), not being able to eat like others, and loose hanging skin.

3.  Ambivalence. Patients reported that while some things changed for the better, other changes were difficult to cope with or adapt to. This included physical pros (improvement in metabolic health) and cons (gastrointestinal and nutritional side effects of surgery).  This also included psychological pros (improvement in depression, self esteem, control) and cons (eg continued depression and self esteem issues with a realization by some that bariatric surgery was not going to fix these issues; challenges of finding ways other than food to cope with emotions; feeling a loss of protection from the outside world and a feeling of vulnerability with weight loss).

This review is a treasure trove of information, including quotes from patients, and is a great read in its entirety.   These findings highlight that while bariatric surgery is an excellent treatment strategy for some people, for others it may not be the best choice.  These findings certainly speak to the need for long term follow up for patients who have had bariatric surgery, including long term psychological and nutritional support.

As the authors write: Surgery was not the end of their journey with obesity, but rather the beginning of a new and sometimes challenging path.

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Will Bariatric Surgery Help Me Control My Diabetes?

One of the major reasons why we might suggest bariatric (obesity) surgery to our patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, is that studies have shown bariatric surgery to be very effective in improving diabetes control, or even putting diabetes into remission.  However, it has been slow to grow the body of research data in this area, as it is difficult to conduct high quality, long term studies in this field.

Now, just published, we have 5 year data showing that bariatric surgery (gastric bypass surgery and sleeve gastrectomy) are superior to medical therapy to treat type 2 diabetes in people with obesity.

I blogged on the 3 year data in this trial, called the STAMPEDE trial, when it came out in 2014 - where you can read about the structure, goals of the study and the results at that time.

Now, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the extended results of the STAMPEDE study show that 5 years after bariatric surgery, 29% of patients who had gastric bypass surgery had tight control of their diabetes, vs 23% of those who had sleeve gastrectomy, vs only 5% of those who had intensive medical treatment alone.  A duration of diabetes of less than 8 years before surgery was the main predictor of achieving tight control of diabetes, suggesting that earlier intervention with bariatric surgery may give the maximum benefit in glycemic control.

There were also greater improvements in body weight, several measures of cholesterol, need for insulin, and quality of life in the surgical groups.  No late major surgical complications were reported except for one person in the sleeve gastrectomy group who underwent gastric bypass at year 4 to treat a gastric fistula.  Follow up at the 5 year mark was 90%, which is excellent.

While I still take issue to the target for diabetes control being too tight in this study at an A1C of 6.0%, this study does now give us good 5 year data to support that bariatric surgery can be an effective tool to help treat type 2 diabetes in people with obesity.

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Bariatric Surgery - Can We Predict Remission Of Diabetes?

One of the most important benefits of bariatric surgery (especially gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy) is its ability to improve the control of type 2 diabetes, often to the point where type 2 diabetes actually goes into remission after surgery.  Not everyone with type 2 diabetes who has bariatric surgery will experience remission - about 70-80% of patients having gastric bypass and about 50-60% of patients having sleeve gastrectomy will experience remission.  Ideally, we would be able to predict the likelihood of diabetes remission before the surgery is done, as this is arguably one of the most important potential benefits of bariatric surgery.

A recent study tried to answer this question using a scoring system called the DiaRem Score, which looked at at 4 preoperative variables amongst a group of 407 patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery:

• age
• need for insulin 
• diabetes medication use (points assigned varied by type of medication)
• hemoglobin A1C (a blood test which is a 3 month report card of diabetes control)

They found that this score, which is based on the above 4 variables, was highly predictive of who went into remission from their type 2 diabetes and who did not.

Other scoring systems and variables have been looked at as well.  Other variables that stands out in the literature are a shorter duration of diabetes, and preoperative serum C peptide level, which is a marker of a person's ability to produce insulin.

It is exciting to know that as we learn more about bariatric surgery, that we can become better at predicting who may benefit from a diabetes standpoint.  However, a word of caution - longer term studies suggest that for people who do enjoy diabetes remission after bariatric surgery, the diabetes recurs in about 50% of these people by 5 years post op.  While there is still certainly a health benefit to being free of diabetes for a number of years, it is important to remember that the diabetes can return and must be screened for regularly and lifelong.

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Pregnancy After Bariatric Surgery - How Long Should You Wait?

After bariatric surgery, it is recommended to wait at least 12-18 months (with some guidelines recommending to wait two full years) before considering pregnancy.  This is because rapid weight loss and a higher risk for nutritional deficiencies occurs during this phase, which may be a poor environment for fetal development. However, a recent study suggests that waiting two years may not be enough.

The study, published in JAMA Surgery, looked at data from women and their infants in Washington state who had had bariatric surgery (n=1859), and compared them to women and their infants who had not had bariatric surgery (n=8437).  They found that babies who were born to mothers who had had bariatric surgery had a 57% higher risk of prematurity, 25% higher risk of needing to be admitted to the NICU, 93% higher risk of being small for gestational age.

However, when 4 years or more had elapsed since bariatric surgery, the risk of these outcomes was lower when compared to women where 2 years or less had elapsed.  Specifically, the risk for babies born less than 2 years after bariatric surgery was 48% higher for prematurity and 54% higher for NICU admission, compared to babies born to mothers where 4 years or more had elapsed (the difference for being small for gestational age was not significant). For babies born in the 2-4 year window after bariatric surgery, the authors note that the prevalence of prematurity and NICU admission was not meaningfully different from babies born to women who had not had bariatric surgery.

So how do we interpret these data? Well, we already knew that the risks identified in this study exist for babies born to mothers after bariatric surgery, but we need to remember that there are benefits to pregnancy outcomes after bariatric surgery as well - for example, less babies born large for gestational age, less labor and delivery complications, lower risk of C section birth, lower risk of gestational diabetes and high blood pressure in pregnancy.  However, based on these data, it may be better to wait even longer than two years after bariatric surgery before conceiving.

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Duodenal Mucosal Resurfacing for Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes?

Our knowledge and understanding about the role of gut hormones in type 2 diabetes continues to grow, as we get a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the often dramatic improvement in diabetes that is seen after bariatric surgery.  In gastric bypass surgery, we know that at least one of the mechanisms involved is food literally bypassing the first segment of the small intestine, called the duodenum.  This effect may be seen because food is more rapidly delivered to the intestine further down, causing a more powerful release of hormones from the more distal intestine (called the hindgut hypothesis).  However, there may also be an as yet unidentified hormone (or hormones) secreted by the first part of the gut that have an antidiabetic effect, and by having food skip over this part of the gut, this mystery antidiabetic hormone is not released, thereby improving blood sugar control (called the foregut hypothesis).  We do know that the surface of the duodenum in a person with diabetes is altered, with a sort of overgrowth of cells in the duodenal mucosal (called hypertrophy and hyperplasia).

For believers of the foregut hypothesis, a novel approach called Duodenal Mucosal Resurfacing (DMR) is now being studied to see if diabetes control can be improved by doing a sort of 'thinning out' of the lining of the upper part of the intestine.

The first human study of DMR, recently published in the journal Diabetes Care, performed the DMR procedure in 39 patients with type 2 diabetes.  They found an improvement in diabetes control at 6 months post procedure, with greater improvement in those who had a longer segment of the duodenum ablated than those that had a shorter segment treated. Improvement in blood sugars was seen as soon as 1-2 weeks after the procedure, despite no restrictions in diet or calorie intake being recommended.  The improvement in diabetes control was not as powerful as what is seen with gastric bypass surgery, suggesting that there are many additional elements at work in gastric bypass surgery.  The authors also noted that there was some erosion of the improvement in diabetes control at 6 months, so certainly larger and longer studies need to be done to understand what the effect of this procedure is over the long term. There was little weight loss in this study (only a few kg), so the DMR does not hold promise as a weight management strategy.   The procedure was well tolerated overall, though there were three cases of duodenal stenosis that were treated with balloon dilatation.  The authors noted no signals for malabsorption (eg no calcium abnormalities or iron deficiency anemia), but this would need to be evaluated carefully in long term studies as well.

It will be interesting to see further study of the DMR procedure.

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New 'Real-World' Obesity Clinical Practice Guidelines

It is an unfortunate fact that despite the high prevalence of overweight and obesity in our society, most health care professionals receive little training in obesity medicine.  I am asked by colleagues just about every day: ‘How do I treat my patient who struggles with excess weight?’  Health care providers often feel lost in this arena.  

There are a number of obesity management guidelines that try to guide the care of people with obesity, but they often do not provide a consensus on a clear and concise approach to management or treatment goals.

Good news! The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology have produced a new set of Clinical PracticeGuidelines for obesity that they describe as an evidence based, real-world approach, that gives health care providers practical, straightforward, and tangible algorithms for diagnosis, assessment, and management of people with excess weight.

The theme of these guidelines (which I fully agree with) is that management of obesity is not about the numbers on the scale, but about improving overall health and well being.

The approach to diagnosis and management in these guidelines are nicely packaged into a handful of algorithms and tables that you can access here.  Some of the highlights:

1.  The diagnosis of obesity is not just about the numbers on the scale.  They break down the obesity diagnosis into two components: the anthropometric component (numbers: BMI, waist circumference), and the critically important clinical component (complications of the excess weight, of which they have included a convenient checklist of things to look for and how to screen for them).

2.  There is a beautiful table that lists how much weight loss is recommended to improve any particular complication of obesity (eg 5-15% for type 2 diabetes, 5-15% or more for polycystic ovary syndrome, 7-11% or more for obstructive sleep apnea).

3.  They break down lifestyle treatment into three components: meal plan, physical activity, and behavior modification.  They review pros and cons to different types of diets and where evidence exists for improvement of parameters of health (while emphasizing that the dietary approach needs to be individualized to each patient).

4.  They review pros and cons of medications to treat obesity (note that only two of the medications reviewed are available in Canada – namely, liraglutide and orlistat), along with clinical features that may favor the use of one antiobesity medication over another.

In the spirit of focusing on treating to improve weight-associated health complications rather than focus on numbers on the scale, they suggest more intensive treatment approaches (eg medication or bariatric surgery) in situations where complications of obesity already exist.  Personally, I am inclined to favor a more proactive approach, not only looking at these treatment options to improve upon existing complications of obesity, but also to prevent these complications from developing in the first place.

Overall, these guidelines and nicely packaged tables and algorithms provide a great framework to help health care professionals with a real-world approach to obesity management.  Check it out!

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Diabetic Ketoacidosis After Bariatric Surgery in Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a potentially life threatening complication that can occur in people with diabetes.  While we typically associate DKA with type 1 diabetes, it can also rarely happen in type 2 diabetes.   DKA can occur if insulin levels are low, and can be precipitated by a stress on the body, including infection or illness, dehydration, heart attack, and so forth.

A case series was recently published, describing four cases of DKA after bariatric surgery, in three people with type 2 diabetes.   The average time to presentation of DKA was 13 days after surgery (range 3-27 days). All patients were on insulin prior to surgery.  Factors contributing to DKA included omission of insulin and dehydration.

One of these patients was on canagliflozin prior to surgery.  Canagliflozin is a medication in a class of type 2 diabetes medications called SGLT-2 inhibitors, which slightly increase the risk of DKA, particularly if insulin is not taken as directed by the health care team.  Also, if a person taking an SGLT2 inhibitor becomes unwell or dehydrated for any reason while taking the medication, this increases the risk of DKA.  The DKA case in the patient on canagliflozin in this study also had omission of insulin and poor food intake post operatively as contributory factors.

These findings teach us the following:

1.  Patients with type 2 diabetes having bariatric surgery need to be followed closely postoperatively, with meticulous attention to blood sugars and insulin needs.  Some people with type 2 diabetes who were on insulin before surgery do not require insulin after surgery, but others do.   There must also be a low threshold for concern if they become dehydrated due to difficulty tolerating oral intake.

2.  SGLT2 inhibitors should be stopped prior to bariatric surgery (possibly before starting any low calorie diet plan), and if there is still a need for medication to control blood sugar post op, it should not be restarted until the patient is eating and drinking well after discharge home from surgery.

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Bariatric Surgery For Type 1 Diabetes?

In parallel with the obesity epidemic in our general society, so too do many type 1 diabetics struggle with excess weight.  I am often asked whether patients with type 1 diabetes could benefit from bariatric surgery.

First, a review on the difference between Type 1 vs Type 2 diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition, where the immune system mounts a response against the pancreas, causing the pancreas to stop producing insulin.  Type 1 diabetics require insulin as treatment.
• Type 2 diabetes is a condition where the body is resistant to the effects of insulin.  This means that the pancreas has to work harder to make enough insulin to put sugar into cells for use as energy.  Over time, the overworked pancreas gets tired, its ability to produce enough insulin to control blood sugars declines, and diabetes develops. Some Type 2 diabetics are treated with lifestyle modification alone, some with pills or injectable medication, and some require insulin because their pancreas is too tired to make the insulin they need.

About 10% of diabetics have type 1 diabetes, and 90% have type 2 diabetes.  Traditionally, we used to think of type 1 diabetes being the kind of diabetes that has onset in thin kids or young adults, and type 2 diabetes as having onset in people with obesity later in life.  It turns out that type 2 diabetes can come on in childhood (the youngest type 2 diabetic recorded in Canada was 5 years old at diagnosis), and type 1 diabetes can sometimes have onset later in life.  Some people with type 2 diabetes have an ideal body weight, and some people with type 1 diabetes struggle with obesity.

There is lots of evidence to support the efficacy of bariatric surgery (especially gastric bypass surgery and sleeve gastrectomy) to improve control of type 2 diabetes, or even send it into remission (meaning the type 2 diabetes goes away - though it may reoccur later).

For type 1 diabetes, there is very little data.  However, a recent review summarizes the literature available for us, and what it found is that while bariatric surgery can be of benefit to help people with type 1 diabetes lose weight and reduce risk factors for heart disease, diabetes control does not seem to improve overall.

So, while bariatric surgery can be an appropriate treatment strategy for type 2 diabetes in people who struggle with obesity, the evidence does not support it for the improvement of diabetes control in type 1 diabetes.

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www.drsue.ca © 2016

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Does Gastric Bypass Surgery Increase Energy Burn?

We know that Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery is effective to induce weight loss, causing an average weight loss of about 40% of total body weight.  How this actually happens is still far from completely understood.   Many mechanisms are likely at play, but one of the most hotly debated is whether energy burn (called energy expenditure) goes up, down, or does not change after gastric bypass surgery.

We have recently published the results of our randomized, controlled clinical trial in gastric bypass patients, to add to our understanding of this complex area.

In this trial, conducted at the University of Copenhagen and published in the International Journal of Obesity, we enrolled 28 patients, and placed them on a low calorie diet (1000 kcal/day) in preparation for their gastric bypass surgery.  Patients were randomized to have surgery either 8 weeks or 12 weeks after the start of the low calorie diet, such that we could compare them just before the second group had surgery.  (This protocol enabled us to use a 'pair-fed' control model, as there have been criticisms of other studies comparing post surgical patients to control groups who are eating totally differently, not on a low calorie diet, and not on a negative weight trajectory.)  We then repeated testing on the entire group at 1.5 years post surgery.

We found that at 3 weeks postoperatively, patients had lower body composition-adjusted 24 hour and basal energy expenditure compared to those who had not yet had their surgery.  However, at the 1.5 year mark, patients' energy expenditure was not different compared to their own preoperative values.   We also found that surgery increased the postprandial response to many hormones, including GLP-1, PYY, bile acids, and FGF-19.  Decreases in appetite were particularly associated with increased GLP-1, increased PYY, and decreased ghrelin.

So, our study suggests that the decrease in weight seen after gastric bypass surgery is not caused by an increase in energy expenditure, but that weight loss is more likely to be mediated by hormonally-induced changes in appetite.

An enormous and heartfelt thank you to my ex-PhD student (now postdoc!) Dr Julie Berg Schmidt, and all of my dear colleagues at the University of Copenhagen, for years of fantastic collaboration to bring this study to fruition!  Stay tuned for many more publications stemming from this trial.

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2015

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Could Bariatric Surgery Cure My Diabetes?

Clinicians out there – have you ever been asked this question?

I get asked this question at least once a day.

There is an expanding body of data demonstrating the powerful ability of bariatric surgery to improve control of type 2 diabetes, and even put it into remission.  However, we are lacking in long term data on this important topic, with most higher quality data only being available to 2 years post surgery.  For the first time, we now have data from a randomized clinical trial to tell us a little more about what happens to patients with type 2 diabetes, 5 years after bariatric surgery. (Skip to 'So, my take on this?' below if you don't want the study details)

The study, published this week in The Lancet by Mingrone and colleagues, randomized 60 patients to receive either gastric bypass surgery (n=20), biliopancreatic diversion (BPD, n=20), or medical treatment (n=20) for their type 2 diabetes.  Participants were age 30-60, and had to have type 2 diabetes for at least 5 years.  Almost half of the patients in the study were using insulin as part of their diabetes treatment.  

The key findings of the study were:

• ·             At 5 years after surgery, 37% of patients who had gastric bypass, 73% of patients who had BPD, and none of the patients in the medical treatment group, were in remission from their diabetes.
• ·             About half of patients who achieved diabetes remission at 2 years, had relapsed by 5 years (in other words, their diabetes came back). However, when their diabetes came back, it required less medication and was under better control than before the surgery.
• ·             Amount of weight lost did not predict who would go into diabetes remission (or who would relapse).
• ·             Cardiovascular risk (defined as a composite endpoint of at least 2 parameters including reduction in heart/diabetes drugs and improvement in diabetes, cholesterol, or blood pressure control) decreased more in surgically treated groups.
• ·             Five major diabetes complications were seen in patients in the medical group, vs one in the gastric bypass group and none in the BPD group.

So, my take on this? These findings support what we have seen in previous nonrandomized 5 year data: bariatric surgery can be quite powerful to put diabetes into remission (with variable effect depending on the type of surgery), but by 5 years, about half of the diabetes cases come back.  This is a small study, but kudos to the study authors, as I know from my own experiences that it is very difficult to conduct randomized controlled clinical trials in this area.  That the amount of weight loss did not predict the effect of the surgery on diabetes reminds us of the powerful impact of other mechanisms of these surgeries on blood glucose control (for example, changes in gut hormone production).

It’s important to note that while diabetes complications were lower in the surgery group, the surgical and surgically related metabolic complications were (of course) higher in the surgical groups.  These risks were highest in the BPD group, which is a rather dramatic and extensive intestinal bypass procedure.  BPD is not accepted as a standard surgery due to the risk of complications, and in most places BPD is only available in a research setting.

Bariatric surgery can be a powerful and effective treatment for type 2 diabetes for the right individual, who is comfortable with the risk vs benefit profile of surgery, and for whom the benefits clearly exceed the risks.  Patients who experience remission of their diabetes after surgery need to be followed lifelong, as the diabetes can certainly come back.

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2015

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