Even though 3 in 4 French people consider themselves to be in good health, 30% of them are overweight and 16% obese. But overweight, even slight, has countless health consequences. He is at the origin of cardiovascular illnesses, musculo-articular disorders and the development of Type 2 diabetes, and can lead to premature death.
In the event of significant excess weight, there is sometimes only one solution: bariatric surgery to reduce the patient’s appetite. The most commonly offered interventions are sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass. In the first case, the stomach is reshaped to form a tube. In the case of bypass, the stomach is outright bypassed to modify the food circuit. In the weeks following the operation, patients lose weight rapidly. But Inserm researchers noted that even before this weight loss and as soon as they left the hospital, their type 2 diabetes had markedly improved.
Surgery alters the metabolism of the intestine
For researchers at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research, surgery not only has a simple effect on food intake but also changes the metabolism of the intestine. “After the surgery, the patient’s newly reshaped gut, like that of the rat, begins to consume very large amounts of glucose.”, explains Maude Le Gall, Inserm researcher. “It diverts food and blood glucose for its own consumption. This phenomenon, which sets in after just a few days, could contribute to the rapid improvement in blood sugar levels and the disappearance of diabetes.”
Further studies are now needed to understand the process.
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