RESEARCHERS TEST LIPOSUCTION AS POSSIBLE SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES

Main Menu | News By Date | News By Supplier | News By Category | About Us

RESEARCHERS TEST LIPOSUCTION AS POSSIBLE SURGICAL TREATMENT FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES
26 March 2002 - Washington University in St Louis

Excess abdominal fat increases the risk of hypertension, abnormal blood cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis want to learn whether removing fat from the mid-section might help reduce the risk of developing these diseases.

“In theory, if excess abdominal fat is related to increased risk for the metabolic abnormalities associated with obesity, such as diabetes, abnormal blood lipids and heart disease, removing that fat might eliminate some of the risks,” says Samuel Klein, M.D., the Danforth Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Science, and one of the study’s principal investigators. “Therefore, removing large amounts of abdominal fat by new liposuction techniques could have considerable medical benefits in addition to its cosmetic effect.”

Klein and the study’s other principal investigator, V. Leroy Young, M.D., the William G. Hamm Professor of Plastic Surgery, plan to study more than 20 obese patients who undergo liposuction surgery to remove abdominal fat.

“We can remove 10 or more pounds of fat from the abdomen of an obese person,” Young explains. “We know patients can benefit from natural loss of fat, but there isn’t anything in the scientific literature to suggest that metabolic improvements will accompany surgical removal of fat.”

Study patients will be evaluated with very sensitive tests prior to liposuction surgery and, again, several weeks after surgery, to determine whether they are resistant to the actions of insulin. Insulin resistance is a key indicator of type 2 diabetes and a marker for other problems related to obesity. If patients are resistant to insulin, removing abdominal fat may make them less resistant.

“We hope surgical fat removal will improve insulin sensitivity improve diabetes and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Klein says.

Study patients must be diabetic and manage their disease either with diet or with oral medications. Patients will be charged for the liposuction surgery, but at a reduced rate, and all other medical procedures and testing as part of the study will be provided free of charge. In addition, patients completing the study will be compensated for their time.

http://www.wustl.edu

About: Washington University in St Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a medium-sized, independent research university dedicated to challenging its faculty and students alike to seek new knowledge and greater understanding of an ever-changing, multicultural world. The university is counted among the world's leaders in teaching and research and draws students and faculty to St. Louis from all 50 states and more than 90 other nations. With 6,509 undergraduates and 5,579 graduate and professional students, as well as 1,384 part-time students, Washington University offers more than 90 programs and nearly 1,500 courses in a broad spectrum of traditional and interdisciplinary majors.

Founded in 1853 by St. Louisans, Washington University is highly regarded for its commitment to excellence in learning. Its programs, administration, facilities, resources, and activities combine to further its mission of teaching, research, and service to society.

Set amid a thriving metropolitan region of 2.6 million residents, the University benefits from the vast array of social, cultural, and recreational opportunities offered by the St. Louis area. Bordered on the east by St. Louis' famed Forest Park and on the north, west, and south by well-established suburbs, the 169-acre Hilltop Campus features predominantly Collegiate Gothic architecture, including a number of buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

More News:
  • For March 2002
  • From Washington University in St Louis
  • For University