BioCentury
ARTICLE | Politics & Policy

NICE recommends bariatric surgery assessment in obese diabetics

July 11, 2014 12:16 AM UTC

The U.K.'s NICE issued updated draft guidance recommending that patients with recent onset Type II diabetes and a BMI of at least 35 kg/m2 should be offered an assessment for bariatric surgery. The agency also said an assessment should be considered in people with recent onset Type II diabetes and a BMI of 30-34.9 kg/m2. For Asian patients, the agency said an assessment should be considered at a lower BMI.

The updated guidance noted that since 2006 -- when NICE published its original recommendations on obesity -- there is more evidence available on the best follow-up care for patients undergoing weight loss surgery and the role of surgery for recently diagnosed Type II diabetics. The agency's previous guidance recommended bariatric surgery as an option only in obese patients for whom all appropriate non-surgical measures have been ineffective at achieving or maintaining adequate, clinically beneficial weight loss. The recommendation covered patients with a BMI of at least 40 kg/m2, or between 35-40 kg/m2 in patients with other "significant disease," such as Type II diabetes, that could be improved with weight loss. ...