11.07.14
Weight-loss surgery could be offered on NHS to curb diabetes – Nice
Thousands of type 2 diabetes sufferers could be offered weight-loss surgery on the NHS in the future to tackle their condition, draft guidance from Nice has suggested.
Nice is proposing lowering the threshold for considering bariatric (stomach-reducing) surgery for people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes to a BMI of 30, which is the point when overweight begins to be classified as obesity.
Until now, it has said that people with type 2 diabetes could only be considered for a gastric band at a BMI of 35. Currently, about 10% of the NHS budget is spent on dealing with diabetes, with type 2 – sometimes genetic but usually linked to a person being overweight – the chief cause.
New National Diabetes Audit data, has revealed that 738 people a day are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which has being overweight as the biggest risk factor. It also found that up to 71% of type 2 diabetes sufferers had been diagnosed within the last 10 years.
Professor Mark Baker, director of the Centre for Clinical Practice at Nice, said: “Obesity rates have nearly doubled over the last 10 years and continue to rise, making obesity and overweight a major issue for the health service in the UK.
“Since the publication of the existing guidance in 2006, more information has become available on how best to tackle the issue. Updated evidence suggests people who are obese and have been recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes may benefit from weight loss surgery.
“More than half of people who undergo surgery have more control over their diabetes following surgery and are less likely to have diabetes related illness; in some cases surgery can even reverse the diagnosis.”
However, Simon O’Neill, director of health intelligence and professional liaison at Diabetes UK, said that bariatric surgery should only be considered if serious attempts to lose weight have been unsuccessful and if the person is obese.
He added: “Although studies have shown that bariatric surgery can help with weight loss and have a positive effect on blood glucose levels, it must be remembered that any surgery carries serious risks.”
The consultation on Nice’s draft guidance will run until 8 August.
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