What is Diabetes?

Most of the food that we consume is broken down into glucose. Various hormones regulate blood glucose levels; most important among them is insulin. Insulin is essential to maintain blood glucose within normal limits. With the help of insulin body tissues utilize glucose. When glucose level in the blood increases, insulin is produced and it brings back the glucose to normal levels. The blood sugar levels drop as soon as the glucose enters the cells.

However, a person with diabetes is affected with hyperglycemia, a medical condition of an elevated glucose level (>160mg/dl). The increased glucose level may be due to the following reasons:

• Insufficient insulin production by pancreas
• Improper uptake of the glucose by cells due to Insulin resistance

What is Type 2 Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus, often simply referred to as diabetes, is a disease in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced.

There are two main types of diabetes.

• Type 1 diabetes results from the body’s failure to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin lifelong. It is commonly seen in children.
• Type 2diabetes results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. This is the most common form of diabetes, accounting 90% of diabetes patients. Type 2 diabetes is diagnosed by demonstrating any one of the following:
• Fasting plasma glucose level ≥ 126 mg/dL.
• Plasma glucose ≥ 200 mg/dL two hours after a 75 g oral glucose load as in a glucose tolerance test.
• Symptoms of hyperglycemia and random plasma glucose ≥ 200 mg/dL.
• Glycated hemoglobin (Hb A1C) ≥ 6.5%.

What will be the symptoms of Diabetes?

• Polyuria: This condition corresponds to the increased frequency & amount of urine. The volume of urine excreted during this condition is above 3litre per day.
• Slow healing: Appropriate healing is a process that requires a proper immune response over a period of time.
• Polydipsia: The excessive tendency to drink water is known as polydipsia. Frequent dryness of the mouth is the main reason for this.
• Polyphagia: Also known as hyperphagia, the condition refers to increased sensation to eat more often.
• Blurred vision: Any deviation from the normal sharpness of vision is called blurred vision.
• Fatigue: When a person is affected with diabetes, extreme tiredness may be experienced even after having the required amount of rest.
• Weight loss: A sudden and unexplained weight loss can be due to the prevalence of diabetes in an individual.
• Itchy sensation in the genitalia.

Metabolic Surgery for Type 2 Diabetes

In this form of diabetes, the body does not produce enough of the insulin, or the cells in the body do not use insulin properly. Insulin is necessary for the body to be able to use blood sugar for energy. As a result, glucose builds up in the blood, instead of going into cells. Type 2 diabetes is the form of the disease most closely linked to obesity and the name Diabesity has been used to describe this association.

Does Metabolic Surgery “Cure” Diabetes?

Till date, diabetes is poorly understood and medical treatment cannot claim a “Cure”. The aim is to put it in remission, defined as normal blood sugar levels and no need for diabetes medication. This means bringing glucose to normal levels and arresting the progression of the diabetic complications, thus giving the body a chance to repair the damage.

In 2004, study in Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) of more than 22,000 people who underwent bariatric surgery showed the following:

• Diabetes was completely resolved or improved in 86% of patients.
• High blood lipids improved in 70% or more of patients.
• High blood pressure was resolved or improved in 78% of patients.