EON

Hamilton – According to a new study from the University of California, diabetics lose less weight after gastric bypass surgery.

The study involved more than 300 people who underwent gastric bypass surgery.  Researchers found that 12 percent had poor weight loss — losing an average of 32 percent of their excess body weight.  One study participate only lost 11lbs.

Gastric surgery reduces the size of the stomach and therefore limits the amount of food patients can eat.

“When performed in high-volume centers and with a low rate of complications, gastric bypass provides sustained and meaningful weight loss, significant improvements in quality of life, improvement or resolution of obesity-associated co-morbidities, and extended life span. However, 5 percent to 15 percent of patients do not lose weight successfully, despite perceived precise surgical technique and regular follow-up,” the researchers wrote.

After they adjusted for different factors, the researchers concluded that diabetes and having a larger size of stomach pouch after surgery were independently associated with poor weight loss.

“Other factors that may lead to weight gain in patients with diabetes include a ‘protective’ increase in caloric intake to treat episodes of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), reduction of urinary glucose losses, and sodium and water retention that are a direct effect of insulin on the distal tubule in the kidney,” they wrote.

More than 200,000 Americans underwent a gastric bypass operation last year to treat their obesity.