Diabetes May Be Disorder of Upper Intestine

[Akoto]

ScienceDaily (Mar. 6, 2008) — Growing evidence shows that surgery may effectively cure Type 2 diabetes — an approach that not only may change the way the disease is treated, but that introduces a new way of thinking about diabetes.

A new article — published in a special supplement to the February issue of Diabetes Care by a leading expert in the emerging field of diabetes surgery — points to the small bowel as the possible site of critical mechanisms for the development of diabetes.

The study's author, Dr. Francesco Rubino of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, presents scientific evidence on the mechanisms of diabetes control after surgery. Clinical studies have shown that procedures that simply restrict the stomach's size (i.e., gastric banding) improve diabetes only by inducing massive weight loss. By studying diabetes in animals, Dr. Rubino was the first to provide scientific evidence that gastrointestinal bypass operations involving rerouting the gastrointestinal tract (i.e., gastric bypass) can cause diabetes remission independently of any weight loss, and even in subjects that are not obese.

"By answering the question of how diabetes surgery works, we may be answering the question of how diabetes itself works," says Dr. Rubino, who is a professor in the Department of Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and chief of gastrointestinal metabolic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.

LINK: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080305113659.htm

I saw a clip about this online and thought it might be of interest to someone. The doctor who was speaking was very enthusiastic. I don't have diabetes, but it gives me hope that my own time will come for a possible fix, too. :)

[MannyGoldstein]

1. Also, Byetta Mimics A Homone Produced By The GI Tract

Byetta - which effectively reverses type 2 diabetes - works by mimicing a hormone (GLP-1 I believe) that is created at the bottom of the small interstine/top of the large intestine.

(Incidentally, Byetta is an synthetic replica of a molecule isolated from lizard spit!)

[DAGDA56]

4. Thanks Manny...

I have just been put on Byetta, and yours is the clearest explanation of what it's supposed to do.

[shireen]

5. i took it for a little while, but had to stop for unrelated reasons.

So i never had a chance to see any results. Maybe I need to pick it up again ... thanks for the tip, will mention it to my doc.

[MannyGoldstein]

6. Seems To Be *Great* Stuff

BUT... long term effects are not known. Probably pretty safe, but you (obviously) need to weigh the potential long-term effects of Byetta against the long-term effects of type 2 diabetes.

[Warpy]

2. My mother weighed about 80 pounds

at her time of death but her blood sugar was still high. Obviously, it's not just obesity which is the main factor in type II diabetes, although most type II diabetics are obese.

I'm glad they're finally starting to nail it down.

[Skarbrowe]

3. That certainly makes sense to me. Thanks for posting this Akoto.

I have so many problems in that area and they started about the time I was told I had type 2 diabetes. I'm working on the weight loss, exercise regimen and watching certain foods that aggravate that area so I won't have to go to shots. I was successful enough to be told I was no longer diabetic, but all I have to do is do something that irritates "that area" and my sugar jumps. I still test for safety.

Thanks again for the article. I thought I was imagining things.