Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for achieving significant weight loss and improving metabolic comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of our study was to investigate clinical factors related to T2DM remission in obese patients who had undergone bariatric surgery.
Methods: A cohort of patients with T2DM and a minimum of class II obesity undergoing bariatric surgery had their clinical and anthropometric variables assessed. The statistical evaluation included multivariate analyses of clinical factors predicting a T2DM remission two years post-surgery.
Results: 83 patients were included (mean age 44.13 ± 10.38 years). Two years post-surgery, the percentage of excess weight lost was 63.43 ± 18.59%, and T2DM was resolved in 79.5% of the patients. T2DM remission was directly related to a high body mass index (BMI) (OR: 1.886; p = 0.022) and the absence of macro-vascular complications (OR: 34.667; p = 0.002), while it was inversely associated with T2DM with a duration longer than 5 years (OR: 0.022; p = 0.040) and baseline insulin treatment (OR: 0.001; p = 0.009). 15.6% of the patients presented early complications and 20.5% developed late complications.
Conclusion: In our study sample, bariatric surgery proved to be an effective and safe technique for sustained medium-term weight loss and the resolution of T2DM. A higher baseline BMI, a shorter T2DM duration, non-insulin treatment, and the absence of macro-vascular complications are factors predictive of T2DM remission.
Keywords: bariatric surgery; diabetes remission; metabolic surgery; type 2 diabetes mellitus.