The Attitude of type 2 Diabetic Patients Toward Intensive Weight Management and Bariatric Surgery

Abstract

Background: Currently, bariatric surgery is considered the most effective treatment to produce both sizable and durable weight losses and as another line of treatment for type 2 diabetes. These weight losses typically are associated with significant remission of type 2 diabetes Objectives: To assess attitude of type 2 diabetes patients with a BMI of 30-40 kg/m2 regarding bariatric surgery and address the knowledge gap in this regards among them.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among a representative sample of adult type 2 diabetic patientsm whose body mass index ≥30 kg/m2 recruited from chronic diseases clinics, primary healthcare centers in Prince Sultan Millitary Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an Arabic questionnaire consists of three main sections; patients demographic and clinical data, awareness of and attitude towards weight reduction programs and awareness of and attitude towards bariatric surgery. Results:The study included 336 type 2 diabetic patients out of targeted 400 with a response rate of 84%. The age of almost one third of them (32.7%) ranged between 31 and 45 years whereas that of 22% was 60 years or more. Females represented 51.2% of them. More than one-third (39.3%) of the participants have heard about weight reduction programs; particularly keto diet (28.8%) and almost half of them (48.2%) were willing to follow a weight reduction program; particularly none-specific one (66.7%) and keto diet (18.5%). More than one-third of the patients (38.6%) were unaware whereas 18.5% were highly aware of bariatric surgery used for treatment of obesity and diabetes and history of undertaking bariatric surgery was reported by 28.6% of them. More than half of the participants agreed that bariatric surgery will change their nutritional habits (57.1%), affect their blood sugar level (55.4%) and change their life style (54.2%) whereas 44% of them believed that they will achieve their ideal weight one year after bariatric surgery. Conclusion:Most of type 2 diabetic patients were unaware of intensive weight reduction programs and bariatric surgery. Their attitude towards these tools to control of both obesity and diabetes problem was inconsistent; positive in some aspects and negative in others.