Integrated care increases the proportion of patients with HCV infection and psychiatric illness and/or substance abuse who begin antiviral therapy and achieve SVRs, without serious adverse events. ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT00722423.

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We previously reported a nonrandomized case control study that showed significant improvements in BMI, HbA1c and HDL levels in 30 diabetic veterans who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG) through 2 yrs, compared to 23 controls receiving medical management. BMI decreased from 46 to 34 over two yrs and HbA1c from 7.3 to 5.9% in the SG group. We now report the 8 yr follow up. Since then, bariatric surgery has increasingly become an option for the management of not only obesity but also type 2 diabetes. More data is needed on long term outcomes of bariatric surgery compared to medical care. Our cohort is mainly men with more comorbidities and higher average age than typically included in other cohorts that usually include more women. Objectives: The main objective was to compare long term changes in weight, HbA1C, lipids and creatinine in SG group vs. controls. Secondary objectives analyzed were cardiovascular (CV) and mental health outcomes in SG cases and controls. Methods: Charts for diabetic veterans 18 to 80 yrs were reviewed over an 8 yr period. Data was analyzed using Friedman Test, Wilcoxon Signed Rank test with 2-tailed significance level set at p<05. Results: 23 cases and 22 controls were included in the 8-year data analysis. Mean age was 56 and 96% were male. The mean BMI and HbA1C at baseline were 45 and 7.3 in SG group with 41% on insulin and 42 and 8.4 for controls with 59% on insulin. A Friedman test found significant differences in mean changes in weight for BMI, HbA1C and HDL between SG cases and controls over the 8 yrs. (chi-square = 327.48; df = 4; p<0.000001). Follow up pairwise comparisons used a Wilcoxon test. HDL was higher in the SG group (p<.05) in each yr. Mean change in weight and BMI was significantly better for the SG group in the first 6 yrs after SG (p< .01). Nonetheless, the mean weight and BMI of SG group remained below their mean baseline weight and BMI for the full 8 year-period. The mean change in HbA1C was significantly better for the SG group in only the first 2 yrs (p<0.05). LDL change was significantly worse in SG group but not in all years. There were no significant differences in creatinine. Patients who had SG had fewer CV events 8 yrs after SG (baseline OR: 4.17, yr 8 OR:0.77). However, they also had more mental health diagnoses (yr 8 OR: 1.61). Conclusion:The weight loss in the SG group, as compared to controls, lessened over time remaining statistically significant until yr 6. However, the SG group mean BMI and weight remained below baseline at 8 years. HbA1C change remained significantly better in the SG group compared to controls only during the first 2 yrs. Follow up diabetes management in SG group was less consistent than controls. HDL remained significantly higher among the SG group which may be explain the lower CV events in this group. Awareness of more mental health diagnoses among bariatric surgery patients may lead to improved management and better adherence to a healthy lifestyle.

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