Patients with type 2 diabetes may be on the verge of having a new radical new treatment option for their condition. The treatment is deemed radical as it involves surgery of the gastrointestinal tract, which is traditionally given to patients to induce weight loss. In several assessments, doctors have found that surgery provided better control of diabetes than did lifestyle changes and medication combined. The effect is even more pronounced in people who are considered extremely obese. But scientists are still working out why the surgery is so effective at controlling diabetes.
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic disorders that is characterized by the body's inability to regulate blood glucose levels. Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insufficient quantities of the natural hormone insulin. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 29 million Americans have diabetes. Even more alarming, about 25% of those people don't know they have it.