Diabetes is a serious disease that affects over 25 million people in the U.S. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type with obesity being a main causing factor. Weight-loss surgery has been proven to help prevent and treat diabetes in obese patients. FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital offers treatment for patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Tory regions of North Carolina.
1. Weight Loss: Diabetes
Fact: Diabetes kills more people a year than breast cancer and AIDS combined. Did we get your
attention? Good. Because diabetes currently affects 25.8 million people in the U.S. In addition,
there are 79 million adults and children diagnosed with pre-diabetes every year. A diagnoses of
pre-diabetes is given when the blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not high enough to
be considered diabetes. As the obesity rates steadily raise, so too does diabetes.
There are two types, Type 1 and Type 2, of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is believed to be an
autoimmune disease. Commonly diagnosed in children and young adults, it’s when the body
doesn’t produce enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes is much more common. It can result from high
blood pressure and blood fat levels, obesity or being overweight, a sedentary lifestyle, ethnicity
or age causing bad effects on insulin in the body. Insulin is what transforms glucose into energy.
The impact of insulin deficiency is important to take care of. People with Type 1 diabetes track
the levels of blood sugar and treat the diabetes with insulin shots. People with Type 2 diabetes
track their blood sugar levels but have a choice of treatment options.
According to Dr. Keith Campbell, Associate Dean and Professor at Washington State University
College of Pharmacy and a Certified Diabetes Educator, approximately 12 percent of people with
Type 2 diabetes treat it with diet and exercise alone, 48 percent use an oral medicine, and 40
percent use insulin, sometimes partnered with an oral medicine. Recent studies have concluded
that weight-loss surgery is also helpful for treating Type 2 diabetes by either reducing the
amount of medication or resulting in total remission of diabetes within two years after the
surgery. Read more about weight-loss surgery as treatment for Type 2 diabetes.
Prevention is the best weapon in the battle against diabetes. Due to the nature of it, it is still
unknown how to prevent Type 1 but Type 2 can be prevented in some cases. Some tips to
prevent diabetes include:
• Eating a high-fiber, low-fat diet
• Exercise regularly
• Keep alcohol consumption low
• Quit smoking
• Take medication as directed for high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure
• Lose extra weight
Because losing extra weight positively affects diabetes weight-loss surgery can be used as a
prevention tool as well. A study conducted by Lars Sjostrom, MD, PhD, of the University of
Gothenburg, Sweden and his colleagues found an 80 percent lower risk of diabetes after bariatric
surgery. The study took 1,658 obese people without diabetes who elected to undergo bariatric
surgery to 1,771 obese people without diabetes who did not want to take the surgery. The
findings concluded that 28 percent of the patients who did not have surgery developed diabetes
within 10 years of standard care whereas only 7 percent of the patients who had surgery
developed diabetes.
If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes please call
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital. FirstHealth offers a Diabetes Self-Management Program
2. with one-on-one counseling and group classes to help patients understand the disease. For more
information about these services please call (800) 364-0499.
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital in partnership with Pinehurst Surgical offers weight loss
options to patients in the Pinehurst, Raeford, Sanford, Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and
Tory regions of North Carolina and beyond.