Bloomberg News (8/17, Gale) reported, according to a study published Aug. 16 in the Archives of Surgery, "diabetics who undergo weight-loss surgery need fewer medications to control the condition and have lower health-care costs after the procedure." Specifically, "three-quarters of obese patients with type 2 diabetes were able to stop insulin and other blood-sugar controlling drugs within six months of undergoing bariatric surgery, researchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine said."
The study, was funded by the Department of Health and Human Services, and included 2,235 obese adults with type 2 diabetes who underwent bariatric surgery. The Wall Street Journal (8/17, D2, Dooren), the Los Angeles Times (8/16, Dennis) "Booster Shots", and HealthDay (8/16, Gordon) also covered the story.
Not surprisingly, the study published in a surgery journal concluded that insurers should cover the costs of bariatric surgery (median cost $30,959) despite that the three year average medical cost reduction seen in the study was only about $6,061. The study did not compare bariatric surgery to other intensive interventions for weight management among obese diabetics.
