Geisinger-developed scoring system shown to predict likelihood of 'curing' Type 2 diabetes patients
DANVILLE, PA -- Researchers at Geisinger’s Obesity Institute have demonstrated that a scoring system they have developed can accurately predict the likelihood of patients being “cured” of Type 2 diabetes by gastric bypass surgery.
Doctors consider a remission lasting more than five years as a cure.
Details about the scoring system, known as DiaRem, and its success in predicting outcomes from surgery for Type 2 diabetes patients were published today in the medical journal JAMA Surgery, a publication associated with the American Medical Association.
Study author Annemarie G. Hirsch, Ph.D., MPH, said the study found that the higher the DiaRem score, the less likelihood there was that the Roux-en-y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery would lead to a cure.
A DiaRem score, ranging from 0 to 22, is based on four factors – insulin use, age, hemoglobin A1c concentration (a measure of blood sugar) and type of anti-diabetic drug use. The DiaRem score had previously been shown to accurately predict remissions lasting at least 12 months. This further research has shown the scoring system is also a good predictor of curing Type 2 diabetes with gastric bypass surgery, Hirsch said.
Gastric bypass surgery is a highly effective treatment for type 2 diabetes, but the likelihood that a patient will have long-term remission of diabetes varies extremely from patient to patient. The DiaRem score provides a patient with a personalized prediction of whether or not they can expect long-term remission of their disease if they choose to have surgery, she said.
About Geisinger
Geisinger is among the nation’s leading providers of value-based care, serving 1.2 million people in urban and rural communities across Pennsylvania. Founded in 1915 by philanthropist Abigail Geisinger, the non-profit system generates $10 billion in annual revenues across 134 care sites - including 10 hospital campuses, and Geisinger Health Plan, with 600,000 members in commercial and government plans. The Geisinger College of Health Sciences educates more than 5,000 medical professionals annually and conducts more than 1,400 clinical research studies. With 26,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, Geisinger is among Pennsylvania’s largest employers with an estimated economic impact of $14 billion to the state’s economy. On March 31, 2024, Geisinger became the first member of Risant Health, a new nonprofit charitable organization created to expand and accelerate value-based care across the country. Learn more at geisinger.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.