Bariatric Surgery Recommended by the IDF for Obese Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

So, who is the IDF? The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization of over 200 national diabetes associations in over 160 countries.  It has been leading the global diabetes community since 1950.  On March 28^th, the IDF released their Position Statement on Bariatric Surgery at the 2^nd World Congress for Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes in New York.

The statement focuses on the link between obesity and diabetes, and costly complications such as blindness, limb amputations, and dialysis.  It highlights the effectiveness of Bariatric Surgery in treating diabetes.  The IDF recommends Bariatric Surgery for:

1)         People with type 2 diabetes and BMI of 30 to 35 kg/m2 who are not achieving recommended treatment targets with medical therapies, especially when there are other major co-morbidities or cardiovascular risks.

2)         People who have type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 35 kg/m2 or more.

The IDF taskforce is calling for randomized controlled trials to compare different bariatric procedures in treating diabetes.