Bariatric surgery can be lifesaving
A new study in JAMA Network Open has found that, for folks who are severely obese and have diabetes, bariatric surgery decreases the overall risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 68 percent, the risk of nonfatal kidney problems by 42 percent and overall the risk of death from all causes by 47 percent over a stretch of four to 10 years. The risk of everything from sleep apnea to depression and cancer is also reduced.
Today, knowledge about how to support the physical and emotional challenges post-surgery has increased enormously as complications have been slashed. The surgery does require you to also change your habits, but if you’re struggling to achieve a healthy weight and control your diabetes, talk to your doctor about how this might help you reclaim your health and happiness.
Diabetes & dementia
“I have not failed, I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison’s determined optimism illuminates how important it is in the face of delays to keep your eye on the goal. That will-do attitude got us the electric lightbulb and, if you have Type 2 diabetes (or prediabetes), it can help you avoid dementia.
A new study published in JAMA has found that dementia is a major complication of diabetes. In fact, if you turn 70 and have had Type 2 diabetes for more than a decade, you’ve doubled your risk for dementia, compared with folks who are diabetes-free at 70. And, say the researchers, for every additional five years earlier that you were diagnosed with diabetes — say at 55 instead of 60 — there’s a 24 percent increased risk of developing dementia.
Now, we know that controlling — even banishing — diabetes can seem daunting. There are 10,000 ways to remain sedentary, eat sugary, saturated-fat snacks, increase metabolism-damaging inflammation and darken your future. But there is a way to make sure your inner light doesn’t fade.
If you have diabetes, it’s time to declare, “I have not failed.” Adopting a plantbased diet; ditching red and processed meats, ultraprocessed foods, and added sugars; and getting 300 minutes a week of aerobic exercise and strength building twice a week can protect your brain, as well as every other organ in your body.
So, talk to your doctor about nutritional counseling, exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy to help you leave behind your “ways that won’t work.” A bright idea!