In a review of 258 patients with Type 2 diabetes who underwent metabolic bariatric surgery or medical and lifestyle interventions, including GLP-1 drugs, surgery was superior regardless of social determinants of health.
The research, published Jan. 20 in Annals of Internal Medicine, pulls from randomized clinical trials conducted across four U.S. academic medical centers. These trials have previously shown bariatric surgery is more effective for Type 2 diabetes patients than medical and lifestyle changes.
In a new analysis of the data, researchers assessed the social vulnerability of each treatment group through the Area Deprivation Index. The analysis found surgery remained the most effective longitudinal treatment in reducing hemoglobin A1C levels and reducing weight in Type 2 diabetes patients — no matter their social vulnerability.
The increasing use of GLP-1 medications, which are approved for Type 2 diabetes, obesity and weight-related health conditions, have coincided with the falling rate of bariatric surgeries. Between 2022 and 2023, GLP-1 drug prescriptions increased 132.6% while bariatric surgery rates fell 25.6%, one study found.
Vizient projects inpatient bariatric surgery volumes will decline another 15% by 2034, driven in part by increasing GLP-1 use. In 2024, global management consulting firm Kearney predicted this 15% drop to happen by 2029.
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