Post-bariatric diet important as surgery.

• Position: Type 2 Diabetes

Patients with type 2 diabetes who consume a diet identical to the strict regimen followed alter bariatric surgery are just as likely to see a reduction in blood glucose levels as those who undergo surgery, indicates research published in Diabetes Care.

"For years, the question has been whether it is the bariatric surgery or a change in diet that causes the diabetes to improve so rapidly alter surgery," says internist lidiko Lingvay, first author of the study. "We found that the reduction of patients' caloric intake following bariatric surgery is what leads to the major improvements in diabetes, not the surgery itself."

The study followed patients in a controlled, inpatient setting during two distinct periods. Initially they were treated only with the standard diet given to patients after bariatric surgery, while researchers measured effects on blood glucose levels. Several months later, the patients underwent gastric bypass bariatric surgery and followed the same diet. Patients received less than 2,000 calories total during each of these 10-day periods--the customary diet after gastric bypass surgery.

Fasting blood glucose levels dropped 21% on average during the diet-only phase, and 12% after combining the diet with surgery. Patients' overall blood glucose levels after a...