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. 2018 Mar 12;172(5):452–460. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2017.5763

Comparison of Surgical and Medical Therapy for Type 2 Diabetes in Severely Obese Adolescents

Thomas H Inge 1,, Lori M Laffel 2, Todd M Jenkins 3, Marsha D Marcus 4, Natasha I Leibel 5, Mary L Brandt 6,7, Morey Haymond 6,7, Elaine M Urbina 3, Lawrence M Dolan 3, Philip S Zeitler 8, for the Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) and Treatment Options of Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) Consortia
PMCID: PMC5875354  PMID: 29532078

This study compares glycemic control in cohorts of severely obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes undergoing medical and surgical interventions.

Key Points

Question

How does bariatric surgery compare with medical therapy to treat type 2 diabetes in adolescents with severe obesity?

Findings

In this study of 93 severely obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes, hemoglobin A1c concentration and mean body mass index decreased in 30 patients who underwent surgical treatment and increased in 63 patients who received medical treatment at 2-year follow-up. Significant improvements in blood pressure, dyslipidemia, and abnormal kidney function were also observed in the patients treated surgically but not in those treated medically.

Meaning

Surgical treatment of severely obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes was associated with better glycemic control, reduced cardiovascular risk markers, and improved kidney function; these findings support the need for a well-designed, prospective controlled study to define the role of surgery for adolescents with type 2 diabetes.

Abstract

Importance

Because of the substantial increase in the occurrence of type 2 diabetes in the pediatric population and the medical complications of this condition, therapies are urgently needed that will achieve better glycemic control than standard medical management.

Objective

To compare glycemic control in cohorts of severely obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes undergoing medical and surgical interventions.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A secondary analysis of data collected by the Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) and Treatment Options of Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) consortia was performed. Teen-LABS enrolled 242 adolescents (≤19 years of age) from March 1, 2007, through December 31, 2011. TODAY randomized 699 participants (aged 10-17 years) from July 24, 2004, through February 25, 2009. Data analysis was performed from July 6, 2015, to June 24, 2017. Anthropometric, clinical, and laboratory data from adolescents with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes who underwent treatment with metabolic or bariatric surgery in the Teen-LABS study or medical therapy in the TODAY study were compared.

Interventions

Teen-LABS participants underwent a primary bariatric surgical procedure; TODAY participants were randomized to receive metformin therapy alone or in combination with rosiglitazone or an intensive lifestyle intervention; insulin therapy was given in cases of progression of disease.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Glycemic control, body mass index, prevalence of elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, abnormal kidney function, and clinical adverse events were measured.

Results

Data from 30 participants from Teen-LABS (mean [SD] age at baseline, 16.9 [1.3] years; 21 [70%] female; 18 [66%] white) and 63 from TODAY (mean [SD] age at baseline, 15.3 [1.3] years; 28 [44%] female; 45 [71%] white) were analyzed. During 2 years, mean hemoglobin A1c concentration decreased from 6.8% (95% CI, 6.4%-7.3%) to 5.5% (95% CI, 4.7% -6.3%) in Teen-LABS and increased from 6.4% (95% CI, 6.1%-6.7%) to 7.8% (95% CI, 7.2%-8.3%) in TODAY. Compared with baseline, the body mass index decreased by 29% (95% CI, 24%-34%) in Teen-LABS and increased by 3.7% (95% CI, 0.8%-6.7%) in TODAY. Twenty-three percent of Teen-LABS participants required a subsequent operation during the 2-year follow-up.

Conclusions and Relevance

Compared with medical therapy, surgical treatment of severely obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes was associated with better glycemic control, reduced weight, and improvement of other comorbidities. These data support the need for a well-designed, prospective controlled study to define the role of surgery for adolescents with type 2 diabetes, including health and surgical outcomes.

Introduction

During the past few decades, the occurrence of type 2 diabetes has substantially increased in the pediatric population, associated with a 2- to 4-fold increase in childhood overweight and obesity.1,2 Youth-onset type 2 diabetes now represents a substantial percentage of new cases of pediatric diabetes in the United States, ranging from 14% in non-Hispanic white individuals to 86% in American Indian individuals,3 with more than 5000 persons younger than 20 years diagnosed with type 2 diabetes annually in the United States.

The Treatment Options of Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) clinical trial was designed to investigate therapies directed at attaining durable glycemic control4 and found that nearly 50% of teens with type 2 diabetes progressed to needing insulin therapy after a median of 11 months.4 Thus, youth-onset type 2 diabetes appears to be a more aggressive disease with more rapid loss of β-cell function and a higher glycemic failure rate compared with adult-onset diabetes.5,6 In addition, the prevalence of hypertension and albuminuria tripled and elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations increased 2.4-fold during 4 years of follow-up of TODAY participants. Collectively, these data suggest that youth with type 2 diabetes are at high risk for future cardiovascular and renal complications.7,8,9,10 Furthermore, neither metformin nor insulin, the only drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes in youths, addresses the underlying pathophysiologic properties of obesity-related comorbidities. Thus, there is a need to identify management approaches, including metabolic surgery, that may yield clinically significant and durable glycemic control.

The Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) study prospectively evaluated outcomes of adolescents who clinically qualified for bariatric surgery (eg, had a body mass index [BMI]≥35 [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared] and a major obesity-related comorbid condition or a BMI≥40) and underwent bariatric surgery at 5 US centers. Data from participants with type 2 diabetes enrolled in the Teen-LABS and TODAY studies were used to directly compare surgical and medical management of type 2 diabetes. This secondary analysis tested the hypothesis that for adolescents with type 2 diabetes, surgery would provide greater improvement in weight, diabetes, and other cardiovascular risk factors than would medical management during 2 years of follow-up.

Methods

Study Design and Participants

Teen-LABS enrolled 242 adolescents (≤19 years of age) from March 1, 2007, through December 31, 2011. TODAY enrollment started May 1, 2004, and ended December 31, 2009, with a total of 699 randomized participants (ages 10-17 years). Study details for both Teen-LABS and TODAY have been published elsewhere.4,11,12 The TODAY and Teen-LABS protocols were approved by the institutional review boards of each participating institution. Participants provided written informed parental consent and child assent. The participants provided consent for identifiers to be maintained at the data coordinating centers for each study. Deidentified data were used for the purposes of this current analysis.

Pertinent to this analysis, there were 30 Teen-LABS participants with type 2 diabetes at the time of surgery. Of these, 24 underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and 6 underwent vertical sleeve gastrectomy procedures. TODAY participants (irrespective of treatment group assignment) were frequency matched to the 30 Teen-LABS participants with type 2 diabetes using the following matching characteristics: baseline age (13-18 years), race, sex, ethnicity, and baseline BMI (>35). Through this process, a total of 63 TODAY participants were identified. This secondary analysis of these studies, performed from July 6, 2015, to June 24, 2017, includes data collected from the 30 surgically treated and 63 medically treated individuals at baseline, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year study visits.

Comorbidity Definitions

Standard conventions were followed for the assessment and prevalence of conditions over time. In brief, presence of type 2 diabetes in Teen-LABS participants was defined as use of medications for diabetes, baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) concentration of 6.5% or higher (to convert to proportion of hemoglobin, multiply by 0.01), fasting glucose concentration of 126 mg/dL or higher (to convert to grams per liter, multiply by 10), or 2-hour glucose value greater than 200 mg/dL (to convert to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0555) during an oral glucose tolerance test in the 6 months before enrollment. Type 2 diabetes in TODAY was defined by standard American Diabetes Association glucose and HbA1c criteria13 except that asymptomatic patients with a normal fasting glucose concentration but elevated 2-hour glucose concentration during an oral glucose tolerance test were required to have an HbA1c concentration of 6% or greater.14 For both cohorts, complete remission of type 2 diabetes was defined as an HbA1c concentration less than 5.7% while taking no medications for type 2 diabetes, whereas partial remission was defined as an HbA1c concentration of 5.7% or greater but less than 6.5% while taking no medications for type 2 diabetes.15 Comparable definitions for dyslipidemia, elevated blood pressure, and abnormal kidney function were applied to both cohorts (eMethods in the Supplement). All laboratory assays for the Teen-LABS and TODAY cohorts were performed by the Northwest Lipid Metabolism and Diabetes Research Laboratories, Seattle, Washington (see eMethods in the Supplement for assay details).

Assessment of Adverse Clinical Events

The procedure for assessment of adverse events in Teen-LABS12 and TODAY4 have been previously described, and details pertaining to this analysis are included in the eMethods in the Supplement.

Statistical Analysis

Categorical descriptive measures are presented using numbers and percentages. Continuous variables are summarized using means with SDs or medians with interquartile ranges. The primary outcome was glycemic control after 2 years, assessed as HbA1c concentrations for all included participants independent of TODAY treatment status. Generalized linear mixed effects models with group × visit interaction terms compared changes in HbA1c concentration, anthropometrics, comorbidities, and lipid outcomes between the study groups. The identity link function was used for the following outcomes: HbA1c level, height, weight, BMI, percentage of BMI change from baseline, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose level, fasting insulin level (log transformed), total cholesterol level, LDL-C level, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level, triglyceride levels (log transformed), urine albumin-creatinine ratio (log transformed), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR); the logit link function was for the following outcomes: HbA1c level (<5.7%), elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, low eGFR, and elevated urinary albumin-creatinine ratio. An unstructured covariance was used in each model. The following variables were considered for inclusion in the final models: age, sex, race, BMI, lipid medication use, and blood pressure medication use. Overall, 251 of 279 (90.0%) of postbaseline and surgery HbA1c values across both cohorts were available for analysis. Multiple imputation by chained equations was performed to the patterns of missing data. A total of 30 imputed data sets were created for use in the multivariable models. SAS Proc MiAnalyze (SAS Institute Inc) was used to generate all estimates from the multiply imputed data sets. Sensitivity analyses using pattern-mixture models were performed to evaluate the missing at random assumption. Using this approach, we adjusted imputed HbA1c values from −5% through +5% of what they would be if the data were missing at random (eFigure 1 in the Supplement). On the basis of these analyses, the missing at random assumption was considered to be reasonable (eMethods in the Supplement). All statistical analyses were conducted using SAS, version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc), and all reported P values were 2-sided. All comparisons except the primary outcome were considered to be exploratory, and no correction was made for multiple comparisons.

Results

Baseline Comparisons

Data from 30 participants from Teen-LABS (mean [SD] age at baseline, 16.9 [1.3] years; 21 [70%] female; 18 [66%] white) and 63 from TODAY (mean [SD] age at baseline, 15.3 [1.3] years; 28 [44%] female; 45 [71%] white) were analyzed (Table 1). The Teen-LABS cohort had a higher mean (SD) baseline BMI (54 [9.5] vs 41 [4.9], P < .001) and waist circumference (151.4 vs 121.2 cm, P < .001) than the TODAY cohort. At baseline, the cohorts did not differ with respect to mean HbA1c, fasting glucose, insulin, albumin, or serum creatinine levels or eGFR, based on cystatin C (Table 1). At baseline, 7 of 30 Teen-LABS participants (23%) were receiving injection therapy for type 2 diabetes (6 receiving insulin, 1 receiving exenatide). Of the remaining 23, all were taking oral medications (22 were taking metformin and 1 was taking glipizide). By protocol, all TODAY participants were taking metformin only at baseline. Teen-LABS participants also had a significantly greater cardiovascular risk factor burden than TODAY participants, with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, LDL-C concentration, and triglyceride concentrations at baseline (Table 1).

Table 1. Baseline Characteristics by Study Groupa.

Characteristic Teen-LABS (n = 30) TODAY (n = 63) P Value
Age at baseline, y 16.9 (1.3) 15.3 (1.3) <.001
Female, No. (%) 21 (70) 28 (44) .03
Race/ethnicity, No. (%)
Non-Hispanic white 18 (66) 45 (71) .06
Non-Hispanic black 9 (30) 18 (29)
Non-Hispanic multirace 2 (7) 0
Hispanic white 1 (3) 0
Surgical procedure, No. (%)
Gastric bypass 23 (77) NA NA
Adjustable gastric banding 1 (3) NA
Sleeve gastrectomy 6 (20) NA
Height, cm 168.6 (9.3) 170.3 (7.8) .37
Weight, median (IQR), cm 145.2 (134.2-176.6) 116.3 (107.6-126.3) <.001
BMI 54.4 (9.5) 40.5 (4.9) <.001
Body fat, % 51.7 (7.2) 38.9 (6.0) <.001
Waist circumference, cm 151.4 (16.6) 121.2 (13.3) <.001
Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg 128.8 (12.3) 118.5 (11.4) <.001
Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg 75.6 (11.6) 70.4 (8.7) .02
Blood pressure medication use, No. (%) 17 (57) 8 (13) <.001
HbA1c, % 6.8 (1.9) 6.2 (1.0) .15
Total cholesterol level, mg/dL 172.3 (29.7) 146.7 (27.4) <.001
LDL-C level, mg/dL 101.8 (26.3) 83.3 (23.1) .001
HDL-C level, mg/dL 40.1 (9.9) 38.5 (8.5) .44
Fasting triglyceride level, median (IQR), mg/dL 152.7 (111.0-197.0) 132.0 (76.0-150.0) <.001
Lipid-lowering medication use, No. (%) 3 (10.0) 0 .03
Elevated urine albumin-creatinine ratio, No. (%) 8 (27) 13 (21) .54
Fasting glucose level, median (IQR), mg/dL 105.0 (90.0-148.0) 116.0 (100.0-138.0) .59
Fasting insulin level, median (IQR), μIU/mL 42.1 (21.3-67.1) 32.2 (22.6-54.0) .14
eGFR 110.0 (29.8) 109.3 (24.7) .91

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; IQR, interquartile range; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; NA, not applicable; Teen-LABS, Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery; TODAY, Treatment Options of Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth.

SI conversion factors: to convert hemoglobin to proportion of hemoglobin, multiply by 0.01; total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0259; triglycerides to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0113; glucose to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0555; insulin to picomoles per liter, multiply by 6.945.

a

Data are presented as mean (SD) unless otherwise indicated.

BMI Change Over Time

During 2 years of follow-up, BMI in the Teen-LABS cohort decreased by 29.0% (95% CI, −34.0% to −24.0%) from baseline compared with a 3.7% (95% CI, 0.8%-6.7%) increase in TODAY participants (Figure 1 and Table 2). This finding corresponded to a loss of 44.2 kg (95% CI, 37.8-50.6 kg) of body weight in the Teen-LABS cohort and a gain of 5.8 kg (95% CI, 1.4-10.2 kg) in the TODAY cohort. Mean height increased by 1.3 cm in the younger TODAY cohort but did not change over time in the Teen-LABS participants. Waist circumference decreased by 29.0 cm (95% CI, 24.6-33.6 cm) in the Teen-LABS cohort but increased by 4.3 cm (95% CI, 1.0-7.6 cm) in the TODAY cohort (Table 2).

Figure 1. Mean Percent Change in Body Mass Index (BMI) Over Time .

Figure 1.

BMI was calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared. Error bars indicate 95% CIs. Teen-LABS indicates Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery; TODAY, Treatment Options of Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth.

Table 2. Longitudinal Anthropometric and Laboratory Data.

Outcome Teen-LABS TODAY P for Interaction
Baselinea 2-y Follow-upa Difference (95% CI)b Baselinea 2-y Follow-upa Difference (95% CI)b
Primary Outcome
HbA1c, % 6.8 5.5 −1.3 (−2.2 to −0.5) 6.4 7.8 1.4 (0.9 to 1.9) <.001
Secondary Outcomes
Height, cm 168.0 167.7 −0.3 (−0.8 to 0.2) 170.4 171.8 1.4 (1.0 to 1.8) <.001
Weight, kg 155.1 110.9 −44.2 (−50.6 to −37.8) 117.4 123.2 5.8 (1.4 to 10.2) <.001
BMI 51.8 36.3 −15.1 (−17.3 to −13.0) 36.7 37.9 1.3 (−0.2 to 2.8) <.001
Waist circumference, cm 151.4 122.3 −29.0 (−33.6 to −24.6) 121.2 125.5 4.3 (1.0 to 7.6) <.001
Fasting glucose level, mg/dL 125.1 89.3 −35.8 (−53.9 to −17.7) 119.2 151.8 32.6 (21.1 to 44.2) <.001
Fasting insulin level, μIU/mLc 23.5 11.7 −11.8 (−16.5 to −8.4) 33.4 28.6 −4.8 (−5.4 to −4.2) .056
Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg 122.9 122.0 −0.8 (−6.3 to 4.7) 119.3 120.8 1.5 (−1.4 to 4.5) .02
Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg 75.4 73.3 −2.1 (−6.2 to 2.0) 71.3 71.4 0.1 (−2.6 to 2.8) .02
Total cholesterol level, mg/dL 162.7 151.0 −11.6 (−30.3 to 7.0) 154.8 156.6 1.6 (−10.7 to 14.0) .02
LDL-C level, mg/dL 92.0 85.2 −6.8 (−22.2 to 3.9) 89.0 82.8 −6.2 (−15.4 to 2.9) .04
HDL-C level, mg/dL 35.6 46.3 10.7 (7.7 to 13.7) 33.8 35.8 2.1 (0.1 to 4.0) <.001
Triglyceride level, mg/dLc 108.8 88.1 −20.7 (−24.4 to −17.4) 100.7 116.1 15.4 (10.4 to 21.8) .06
Urine albumin-creatinine ratioc 0.02 0.01 −0.01 (−0.01 to −0.01) 0.03 0.02 −0.001 (−0.001 to 0.001) .02
eGFR 114.9 126.0 11.1 (2.0 to 20.3) 117.8 123.2 5.4 (−1.8 to 12.7) .554

Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared); eGFR, estimated glomerular filtration rate; HbA1c, hemoglobin A1c; HDL-C, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol; LDL-C, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; Teen-LABS, Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery; TODAY, Treatment Options of Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth.

SI conversion factors: to convert hemoglobin to proportion of hemoglobin, multiply by 0.01; total cholesterol, LDL-C, and HDL-C to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0259; triglycerides to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0113; glucose to millimoles per liter, multiply by 0.0555; insulin to picomoles per liter, multiply by 6.945.

a

Least-squares means.

b

Difference in least-squares means.

c

Geometric means.

Diabetes and Metabolic Status Over Time

Mean HbA1c concentration decreased from 6.8% (95% CI, 6.4%- 7.3%) to 5.5% (95% CI, 4.7%-6.3%) in Teen-LABS participants and increased from 6.4% (95% CI, 6.1%-6.7%) to 7.8% (95% CI, 7.2%-8.3%) in TODAY participants (Table 2).

The HbA1c concentration was next analyzed categorically using clinically meaningful ranges. The number of Teen-LABS participants with HbA1c concentrations less than 5.7% increased from 10 (34%) at baseline to 15 (74%) at 2 years but decreased from 17 (28%) at baseline to 7 (13%) in TODAY participants (Figure 2). At 2 years, 19 (94%) (95% CI, 68%-99%) of Teen-LABS participants and only 20 (38%) (95% CI, 26%-52%) of TODAY participants had HbA1c concentrations less than 6.5% (P = .003). The number of TODAY participants with HbA1c concentrations in the 6.5% or greater category increased from 23 (35%) at baseline to 34 (62%) at 2 years despite intensive medical management and emphasis on medication adherence.

Figure 2. Changes in the Proportion of Participants With Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) Concentrations.

Figure 2.

Teen-LABS indicates Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery; TODAY, Treatment Options of Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth.

Significant decreases in concentrations of fasting glucose and insulin were observed in Teen-LABS participants, whereas TODAY participants had an increase in fasting glucose and decrease in insulin concentrations (Table 2).

Other Outcomes

The number of participants with elevated blood pressure decreased from 20 (45%) (95% CI, 13%-34%) at baseline to 5 (20%) (95% CI, 8%-42%) at 2 years in the Teen-LABS group, whereas the number with elevated blood pressure in the TODAY cohort nearly doubled (13 [22%] to 23 [41%]) (Figure 3 and eTable 1 in the Supplement). The number of participants with dyslipidemia in the Teen-LABS cohort decreased from 21 (72%) (95% CI, 51%-86%) at baseline to 9 (24%) (95% CI, 10%-48%) at 2 years (Figure 3 and eTable 1 in the Supplement), associated with improvements in triglyceride and HDL-C concentrations (eFigures 2, 3, and 4 and eTable 1 in the Supplement). In the TODAY group, no appreciable change in dyslipidemia prevalence occurred, whereas a modest increase in triglyceride concentrations was seen. The number of Teen-LABS participants with low eGFR decreased from 7 (24%) at baseline to none at 2 years, and the number with elevated urinary albumin-creatinine ratio decreased from 8 (27%) at baseline to 1 (6%) at 2 years. The number of the subset of TODAY participants with low eGFR and elevated albumin-creatinine ratio did not change significantly over time (Figure 3 and eTable 1 in the Supplement).

Figure 3. Mean Proportion of Participants by Secondary Outcome .

Figure 3.

Mean proportion of participants with elevated blood pressure, dyslipidemia, low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and elevated albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR). Error bars indicate 95% CIs. Teen-LABS indicates Teen–Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery; TODAY, Treatment Options of Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth.

Clinical Adverse Events

During the 2-year period of follow-up, 7 of 30 individuals in the Teen-LABS cohort (23%) experienced complications that required subsequent operation and/or readmission that were related or possibly related (eg, cholecystectomy for gallstones) to their prior bariatric surgery (eTable 2 in the Supplement). Five other individuals (17%) required subsequent hospitalization for observation or other interventions (nonabdominal operations) that were unrelated to the prior bariatric operation (eTable 2 in the Supplement). No hypoglycemic events that required admission were observed in the surgical participants. In comparison, only 2 of the 63 TODAY participants (3%) required hospital admission during the 2-year follow-up period. The reasons for these admissions included calf swelling and ankle edema in one TODAY participant and knee pain and anemia in another.

Discussion

Adolescents with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes receiving medical treatment in the context of a rigorous and well-staffed multicenter clinical trial experienced modest weight gain, progression of type 2 diabetes, and no improvement in cardiovascular risk factors in 2 years of follow-up. In contrast, most of the adolescents undergoing surgical procedures experienced clinically significant weight reduction, remission of their diabetes, and improvement in cardiovascular risk factors and kidney dysfunction despite starting with a higher BMI. The striking differences in outcomes between these 2 treatments support consideration for surgical treatment for adolescents with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, the surgical treatment benefits were also associated with surgical risks. Clinical events that required surgical management were observed in one-fifth of surgical participants. These types of events should be understood by physicians, teenagers, and families when considering the treatment options currently available for adolescents with type 2 diabetes.

Recently, Al-Saeed et al16 reported an inverse association between age at onset of type 2 diabetes and complication risk and mortality. Type 2 diabetes was more likely to be associated with metabolic syndrome features, albuminuria, and neuropathy when diagnosed in individuals aged 15 to 30 years compared with those aged 40 to 50 years. Moreover, mortality risk was found to be higher among those with type 2 diabetes diagnosed early in life, with peak mortality in early adulthood (eg, ages 30-40 years). These findings complement the recent report16 that elevated BMI at 17 years of age, even in the absence of diabetes, also portends premature mortality from the future development of diabetes.

Indications for use of bariatric surgery for adolescents have included type 2 diabetes in adolescents with a BMI of 35 or higher.2,17,18,19 Although this recommendation has been widely adopted internationally and incorporated into numerous clinical care guidelines summarized by Aikenhead et al,20 the evidence on which it is based is derived predominantly from adult bariatric outcome studies21,22 that have, in general, demonstrated rapid metabolic improvement in type 2 diabetes.

Numerous studies in adults with type 2 diabetes have demonstrated that bariatric procedures are well tolerated, with diabetes remission rates in the 38% to 60% range 1 to 3 years after surgery and durable remission in 30% of individuals at 15 years. A prospective randomized clinical trial in adults with type 2 diabetes and baseline BMIs of 27 to 43 confirmed the significant benefit of bariatric surgery compared with medical therapy on glycemic control (absolute HbA1c reduction of 2.1% after surgery vs 0.3% with medical therapy), lipid levels (triglycerides and HDL-C), insulin use, and quality of life.22 Other researchers have also found that surgery is associated with 50% reduction in the risk of developing microvascular complications and similar reduction in the risk of death from cardiovascular causes23 in individuals affected by type 2 diabetes, further justifying guidelines endorsed by 45 international professional organizations that support the use of metabolic surgery for treatment of type 2 diabetes.24

Of interest, adolescents in our study had greater than expected (95% with HbA1c<6.5%) improvement of type 2 diabetes after bariatric surgery during 2 years despite similar operations, similar weight loss, and identical definitions of disease response as those used in adult studies. The most plausible hypothesis for this response may be that the procedure occurs when there is more recoverable β-cell function because of a shorter duration of type 2 diabetes in adolescents compared with adults. Numerous investigators have established that greater odds of remission in adults are associated with shorter duration of disease, whereas lower odds are associated with the need for insulin preoperatively. However, after controlling for BMI change, there was greater metabolic improvement in the surgical cohort (absolute HbA1c decrease of 2.2%) attributable to surgery alone. This finding suggests that surgery in youths with type 2 diabetes provides an antidiabetic effect(s) greater than those expected with weight loss alone. Candidates for mediation of this weight loss–independent effect include modulation of endogenous enteroendocrine signaling (eg, glucagon-like peptide 1),25 enhanced production of healthy adipokines,26 down-regulation of inflammatory cytokines and mediators that contribute to hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance, changes in the bile acid pool27 associated with alterations in the microbiome,28 greater motivation to engage in active lifestyles,29 or a combination of these factors.

In the TODAY cohort, nearly 50% of youths were unable to maintain durable glycemic control (defined as HbA1c≥8% for 6 months or need for ongoing insulin therapy after metabolic decompensation) within 2 years despite consistent and closely monitored medical treatment, with a median time to failure of 11.5 months. These individuals experienced progressive worsening of glycemic control, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and abnormal renal function. Although there are no long-term studies of outcome in youth-onset type 2 diabetes to date, the assumption, based on adult studies,23,30 is that the worsening of these risk factors will result in increased rates of microvascular and macrovascular disease, such as myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, blindness, and end-stage renal disease, possibly beginning in middle age.16 These data, combined with the effects of type 2 diabetes on mortality being greatest for those who received diagnoses at a young age,16 suggest that surgical therapy should be considered earlier rather than later for those who are diagnosed with youth-onset type 2 diabetes.

Limitations

This current analysis is limited by the design—a secondary analysis of previously collected data from 2 different cohorts enrolled in 2 different studies with different objectives. However, the similarities in methods and use of the same central laboratory for biochemical analyses provided a unique opportunity to make an important comparison between these 2 approaches to management of type 2 diabetes in adolescents. Relatively few adolescents with type 2 diabetes were enrolled in the Teen-LABS study. Thus, the power to detect changes in some outcomes of interest was limited. Similarly, relatively few underwent vertical sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure that is increasing in the United States and worldwide. Furthermore, 13% of postoperative visits in the surgery group and 8% of postbaseline visits in the medical cohort were not completed. However, statistical techniques were used to address these missing data, with associated sensitivity analyses demonstrating that missing data pattern assumptions were reasonable. Finally, these analyses are limited only to 2 years of follow-up. Long-term data are needed to assess the durability of the effect of bariatric surgery in young patients with type 2 diabetes.

Conclusion

For adolescents with severe obesity and type 2 diabetes, medical management, even within the context of a well-resourced clinical trial, resulted in increasing weight, failure to maintain glycemic control in half of the participants, and advancing cardiovascular risk burden. Bariatric surgery, however, was associated with remission of type 2 diabetes in most participants, along with improvements in weight and cardiovascular risk markers. Therefore, these data suggest that surgery provides superior treatment of adolescent type 2 diabetes and its comorbidities. However, this patient population is susceptible to major surgical complications, and there is still little known about the long-term effects of surgery compared with medical therapy, indicating a critical need for additional research. Despite the small number of participants, these findings provide estimates of outcomes that may be useful to those contemplating surgical treatment for youth-onset type 2 diabetes. Future work in this cohort should focus on longer-term assessments of health outcomes, including nutritional and other effects of surgery, recurrence of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular end points, and mortality.

Supplement.

eMethods. Supplementary Methods

eTable 1. Prevalence of Select Conditions by Study Group and Timepoint

eTable 2. Admissions and Procedures by Subject

eFigure 1. Effect of Study Group Membership on Postoperative HbA1c by Adjusted Level of Missing Values

eFigure 2. LDL By Study Timepoint

eFigure 3. HDL By Study Timepoint

eFigure 4. Triglycerides by Study Timepoint

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Associated Data

This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

Supplementary Materials

Supplement.

eMethods. Supplementary Methods

eTable 1. Prevalence of Select Conditions by Study Group and Timepoint

eTable 2. Admissions and Procedures by Subject

eFigure 1. Effect of Study Group Membership on Postoperative HbA1c by Adjusted Level of Missing Values

eFigure 2. LDL By Study Timepoint

eFigure 3. HDL By Study Timepoint

eFigure 4. Triglycerides by Study Timepoint


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