ALL RIGHT, MOVING ON, A NEW STUDY AT THE CLEVELAND CLINIC SHOWS SURGERY TO REDUCE STOMACH SIZE
REVERSES TYPE 2 DIABETES 90 PERCENT OF THE TIME -- WITH PATIENTS GETTING
NORMAL BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS, SOMETIMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PROCEDURE.
"ITSY-BITSY SPIDER WENT UP THE WATER SPOUT."
EIGHT YEARS AGO, MARLA EVANS HAD TYPE 2 DIABETES.
THAT WAS BEFORE SHE HAD GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY.
SINCE THEN, SHE HAS LOST 36 KILOGRAMS.
EVANS PARTICIPATED IN A STUDY LED BY DR.
PHILIP SCHAUER AT THE CLEVELAND CLINIC.
DR.
SCHAUER WANTED TO SEE IF THE SURGERY COULD HELP PATIENTS WITH DIABETES.
"THIS DISEASE OVER TIME CAN BE VERY DEBILITATING, CAUSING BLINDNESS, KIDNEY FAILURE, AMPUTATIONS,
HEART ATTACK AND STROKE IF IT'S NOT WELL TREATED."
HIGH BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS ARE THE HALLMARK OF DIABETES.
A FEW YEARS AGO, DR.
SCHAUER PUBLISHED THE INITIAL RESULTS OF THE STUDY.
HE FOUND THAT THE STOMACH SHRINKING
SURGERY REVERSED TYPE 2 DIABETES.
THE LATEST RESULTS ARE THE SAME.
IN 90 PERCENT OF THE CASES, IT REVERSES TYPE II DIABETES.
AND TYPE II IS THE KIND YOU GET BECAUSE YOU ARE GENETICALLY PREDISPOSED.
YOU'RE OVERWEIGHT, YOU DON'T EXERCISE
ENOUGH.
IT'S A LIFESTYLE SORT OF THING BUT IT CAN ALSO BE GENETIC.
YOU CAN GET IT RELATED TO AGE OR YOU HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF IT.
SO CAROL, WHY DOES THIS SURGERY WORK TO CURE, TO REVERSE DIABETES?
THAT'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION AND DR.
SCHAUER LOOKED AT PATIENTS THAT LOST THE OLD FASHIONED WAY AND PATIENTS WHO HAD THIS KIND
OF SURGERY AND LOST THE WEIGHT.
THERE'S A
DIFFERENT CHEMICAL REACTION IN THE BODY THAT REVERSES THIS KIND OF DIABETES.
SO IT'S NOT THE ACTUAL FACT OF LOSING THE WEIGHT THAT REVERSES IT?
NO, IT'S THE CHEMICAL REACTION THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE BODY.
THE DOCTORS ARE NOW LOOKING AT THIS AS PROVEN THAT THIS KIND OF SURGERY REVERSES TYPE II
DIABETES IN 90
PERCENT OF THE CASES.
ANOTHER THING THAT IT DOES, IF YOU'RE NOT COMPLETELY OFF YOUR MEDICATIONS, YOU CAN REDUCE
THE AMOUNT OF MEDICINE THAT YOU TAKE.
THE PATIENTS WHO ARE
ON THIS LOSE 25, 35 PERCENT OF THEIR TOTAL BODY WEIGHT AND SO THEY HAVE THEREFORE IMPROVED
THEIR LIFESTYLE.
NOW WHO'S MOST AFFECTED BY DIABETES?
USUALLY PEOPLE WHO ARE OLDER BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE THEY'RE FINDING NOW,
TEENAGERS, WHO ARE DEVELOPING TYPE II DIABETES.
AGAIN THAT'S THROUGH LIFESTYLE.
NOW YOUR STORY FOCUSED ON THIS WOMAN, MARLA, WHO RECEIVED THIS SURGERY AND IT REVERSED
HER TYPE II DIABETES.
WHAT STRUCK YOU ABOUT HER STORY?
WELL, HOW SUCCESSFUL IT WAS.
I HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD BARIATRIC SURGERY, WHICH IS A STOMACH STAPLING SURGERY.
IT REDUCES THE SIZE OF YOUR STOMACH.
YOU HAVE
TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT YOU EAT.
SHE SAID SHE FOLLOWED THE DIET INSTRUCTIONS EXPLICITLY.
YOU HAVE TO EAT YOUR PROTEIN FIRST BECAUSE PROTEIN IS GOING TO FILL UP YOUR
STOMACH.
REMEMBER AFTER YOU HAVE THIS SURGERY, THE STOMACH IS ONLY THE SIZE OF A WALNUT.
SO IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH TO FILL THAT UP AND IF PEOPLE DON'T FOLLOW THE PRESCRIBED
WAY OF EATING AND EATING PASTA, THEY END UP BEING SO FULL THAT IT'S PAINFUL...
BECAUSE IT STRETCHES THAT SMALL SPACE...
YEAH.
AND THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE GOING TO MOST LIKELY HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS SURGERY.
BUT WHAT STRUCK ME ABOUT IT IS, THOUGH, SHE SAID I MISS ICE CREAM - SHE FOUND THAT
WHAT SHE COULD EAT, SHE LIKED.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THE RISKS OF DIABETES - WHAT DO PEOPLE NEED
TO KNOW?
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STRUCK ME ABOUT MARLA EVANS - THE WOMAN IN THE PIECE - IS SHE SAID
SHE NO LONGER SUFFERS FROM SUCH FATIGUE.
SHE NOW HAD THE ENERGY TO PLAY WITH HER
GRANDDAUGHTER.
I HAVE ENERGY, I HAVE A NEW LIFE.
BUT I AM NOT A DIABETIC ANYMORE.
VOA CAROL PEARSON COVERS MEDICAL NEWS FOR US.
AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE, ONE OF OUR VOA COLLEAGUES HERE ACTUALLY HAD THIS SURGERY, AND ALSO GOT
THE SAME GREAT RESULT - THE
DISAPPEARANCE OF TYPE 2 DIABETES, SO REALLY INCREDIBLE DEVELOPMENT HERE.
ALL RIGHT.