March• 2019 | 33READER’S DIGESTSingapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.
HOW IT WORKSMetformin reduces
blood sugar by lowering the amount
of sugar coming from the liver. A
2017 Georgetown University review
showed that it cuts the risk of devel-
oping type 2 diabetes by 18 per cent
over 15 years.FORTYPE2DIABETESMetabolic Surgery
Reroutingthedigestivesystemwith
gastricbypasssurgery(so-calledbe-
causeitcreatesasmallerstomach
andbypassespartofthesmallin-
testine) or with a sleeve gastrectomy
(whichreducesthesizeofthestom-
achbyabout80percent)isadrastic
diabetes solution. After all, it’s major
surgery, with small but real risks for
such complications as infections,
bleeding, and gastrointestinal prob-
lems.WhileavailableinAustralia,
NewZealandandAsia,thisisnota
government-funded procedure for
type2diabetesandcanbecostly.It’s
also not a stand-alone solution.
HOWITWORKSReducing the size
ofthestomachmakesiteasierfor
peopletostickwithsmallerpor-
tions–butpeoplearealsostrongly
urgedtofollowahealthydiet.New
researchisshowingthatthesur-
gery produces safe, long-lasting
benefits, particularly in people with
recently diagnosed diabetes, such
asJohn,*37,whowasdiagnosed
with type 2 diabetes three years ago.Hisdoctorsuggestedgastricbypass
surgerywhenJohnweighed107kilo-
gramsandhadhighcholesteroland
hypertension.
“Being fairly young, I was looking
at,fortherestofmylife,simplybeing
onpillsthattreatedthesymptoms
but caused problems themselves,”
John says. “Even if I kept my sugar
down, type 2 diabetes still causes
damage and, honestly, would never
go away.”
Four months after his gastric
bypasssurgery,Johnhaslost24kilos
andhasstoppedtakingmedication
for diabetes, cholesterol and blood
pressure. His blood-sugar levels are
in the healthy range.
Research has shown that people
whohavesurgerywithinfiveyearsof
beingdiagnosedwithtype2diabetes
havea70to75percentchanceofa
complete remission.
“If you have diabetes for three
years, four years, the diabetes can go
intoremissionwithinsomeweeks,
butifyouhavetenyearsofdiabe-
tes,therecoverytakesmoretimein
thepatientandmaynothappen,”
says John’s surgeon, Rudolf Weiner,
presidentoftheGermanSociety
forBariatricSurgery,whohasper-
formed more than 7500 surgeries
since 1993. “People will live longer
andhaveabetterqualityoflife,and
theyarefreefromallmedications
and complications.”
In2016,morethan45medical
*JOHN DIDN’T WANT TO DISCLOSE HIS LAST NAME organisations endorsed bariatric