After 7 to 12 years of follow-up, individuals who underwent bariatric surgery instead of medical/lifestyle intervention showed superior glycemic control, requiring fewer diabetes medications, and experiencing higher rates of diabetes remission. An average HbA1c decrease of 1.4% at 7 years and 1.1% at 12 years was observed in the bariatric surgery group compared to the medical/lifestyle group. Deaths and major cardiovascular events did not differ significantly between the groups, but bariatric surgery was associated with more anemia, fractures, and gastrointestinal adverse events.
Journal Article by Courcoulas AP, Patti ME (…) Kirwan JP et 11 al. in JAMA