Glucose Abnormalities and Inappropriate Weight Gain Predict Negative Pregnancy Outcomes After Gastric Bypass Surgery.

PURPOSE: Pregnancy after gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery remains at high risk for gestational diabetes mellitus, prematurity, and small for gestational age infants (SGA). Our objective was to describe the interstitial glucose (IG) profiles and weight changes during such pregnancies, and the association of these factors with adverse pregnancy outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred twenty two pregnancies were analyzed in a monocentric retrospective study. IG profiles were evaluated by continuous glucose monitoring for 4 days. Maternal (hypertension, hospitalizations, and caesarean section) and neonatal outcomes (prematurity, weight for gestational age, hospitalizations, and malformations) were recorded. A logistic stepwise regression model assessed the influence of weight gain and impaired IG on pregnancy outcomes. RESULTS: Pregnancies occurred 33 (SD 21 months) after surgery. 73% of the women had IG abnormalities (55% with an increased % of time >140 mg/dl and 69% with an increased % of time <60 mg/dl). Five (4%) children were large for gestational age (LGA), 24 (20%) were SGA and 16 (13%) were born prematurely. There were 3 malformations but no stillbirth. LGA was associated with a high % of time >140 mg/dl and an excessive maternal weight gain. Prematurity was associated with a high % of time <60 mg/dl and an insufficient maternal weight gain. In the multivariate analysis, inappropriate weight gain explained LGA and prematurity independently. SGA was associated with a shorter % of time <60 mg/dl. CONCLUSION: The relationship between IG abnormalities and/or maternal weight gain and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies after RYGB, suggests a careful monitoring of these parameters.

Diabetes Remission and Relapse After Bariatric Surgery: a Nationwide Population-Based Study.

PURPOSE: The long-term impact of bariatric surgery on the remission of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains to be clarified through large nationally representative cohorts. The objectives were to determine the incidence of T2DM remission and relapse after bariatric surgery, to determine the factors associated with remission and to establish a profile for patients at risk for relapse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study using data from the French national health insurance database (Systeme national des données de santé [SNDS]). We had access to exhaustive regional data between 2013 and 2017 and to a national representative sample of the French population (EGB) from 2008 to 2018. Patients were included if they were adults and diabetics with incidental bariatric surgery. RESULTS: This study shows that 50% of patients are in remission from diabetes after bariatric surgery within a median of 2 to 4 months. Diabetes relapse was observed in 13-20% within 10 years. The factors favouring remission already described were noted (non-insulin-dependent diabetes) and original factors were also identified, in particular the advantage of bypass surgery over sleeve gastrectomy, with more remissions and fewer relapses. CONCLUSION: This study highlights a 50% prevalence of remission and a low prevalence of relapse. There are non-modifiable risk factors for remission and relapse (characteristics of diabetes, age, lipid-lowering therapy) and modifiable factors (type of surgery). Identifying these factors is essential for optimal management of patients. Additional data are essential to confirm the results of our analysis of the factors associated with relapse.

Bariatric surgery and the perioperative management of type 2 diabetes: Practical guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic surgery is now considered as a therapeutic option in type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, few data are available regarding perioperative management of T2D. OBJECTIVES: To assess current practice among bariatric teams regarding perioperative management of T2D in order to propose guidelines. METHODS: A two-round Delphi method using online surveys was employed among bariatric teams experts (surgeons, diabetologists, anesthetists, nutritionists): first round, 63 questions covering 6 topics (characteristics of experts/teams, characteristics of patients, operative technique, pre/postoperative management, diabetes remission); second round, 44 items needing clarification. They were discussed within national congress of corresponding learned societies. Consensus was defined as ≥66% agreement. RESULTS: A total of 170 experts participated. Experts favored gastric bypass to achieve remission (76.7%). Screening for retinopathy, cardiac ultrasound, and reaching an HbA1c<8% are required in the pre-operative period for 67%, 75.3% and 56.7% of experts, respectively. After surgery, insulin pump should not be stopped, basal insulin should be halved, and bolus insulin should be stopped except if severe hyperglycemia. DPP-IV inhibitors and metformin are preferred after surgery. Patients should be seen by a diabetologist within one month if on oral antidiabetic agents (71.8% of experts), 2 weeks if on injectable treatments (77.1% of experts), and immediately after surgery if on insulin pump (93.5% of experts). Long-term monitoring of HbA1c is necessary even if diabetes remission (100%). CONCLUSION: Rapid postoperative modifications of blood glucose require a close monitoring and a prompt adjustment of diabetes medications.

A MOOC About Bariatric Surgery Improves Knowledge and Promotes Patients' Soft Skills.

The ASMBS recommends that patients should be provided with educational materials to improve informed consent about bariatric surgery. Massive online open courses (MOOCs) are learning sources which are free, online, and available to people in remote situations. A French language MOOC regarding preparation for obesity surgery targets patients, as well as HCP, and people curious about this treatment. The patients' knowledge and skills after completion of the 5-week learning sessions (evaluated with semi-direct interviews) improved. Soft skills such as feeling empowered to ask questions to their HCP and explaining their plan to their relatives improved. This study suggests that MOOC can be a resource to improve knowledge and soft skills in patients for a better consent to surgery and follow-up.

A Case Report of Myotonic Disease and Gastric Bypass and a Literature Review.

We report the case of a woman with myotonic dystrophy type 1, followed for 8 years after a Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. Weigh loss was substantial (53% of initial body weight) with functional improvement in spite of the natural course of the pathology. Five other cases have been published and have reported a relatively positive benefit/risk ratio. Precautions are to be taken at the time of anesthesia and follow-up in order to detect possible degradation of muscle function.

An Application May Help Improve Protein Consumption after Bariatric Surgery.

This brief communication suggests that in patients who had bariatric surgery and in whom protein intake is lower than 60 g/d, the use of an application is likely to improve protein intake.

Modelling the associations between fat-free mass, resting metabolic rate and energy intake in the context of total energy balance.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between body composition, energy expenditure and ad libitum energy intake (EI) has rarely been examined under conditions that allow any interplay between these variables to be disclosed. OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the relationships between body composition, energy expenditure and EI under controlled laboratory conditions in which the energy density and macronutrient content of the diet varied freely as a function of food choice. METHODS: Fifty-nine subjects (30 men: mean body mass index=26.7±4.0 kg m(-2); 29 women: mean body mass index=25.4±3.5 kg m(-)(2)) completed a 14-day stay in a residential feeding behaviour suite. During days 1 and 2, subjects consumed a fixed diet designed to maintain energy balance. On days 3-14, food intake was covertly measured in subjects who had ad libitum access to a wide variety of foods typical of their normal diets. Resting metabolic rate (RMR; respiratory exchange), total daily energy expenditure (doubly labelled water) and body composition (total body water estimated from deuterium dilution) were measured on days 3-14. RESULTS: Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that after controlling for age and sex, both fat-free mass (FFM; P<0.001) and RMR (P<0.001) predicted daily EI. However, a mediation model using path analysis indicated that the effect of FFM (and fat mass) on EI was fully mediated by RMR (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that RMR is a strong determinant of EI under controlled laboratory conditions where food choice is allowed to freely vary and subjects are close to energy balance. Therefore, the conventional adipocentric model of appetite control should be revised to reflect the influence of RMR.

Hypoglycaemia after gastric bypass: mechanisms and treatment.

Hypoglycaemia after gastric bypass can be severe, but is uncommon, and is sometimes only revealed through monitoring glucose concentrations. The published literature is limited by the heterogeneity of the criteria used for diagnosis, arguing in favour of the Whipple triad with a glycaemia threshold of 55 mg/dl as the diagnostic reference. Women who lost most of their excess weight after gastric bypass, long after the surgery was performed, and who did not have diabetes before surgery are at the greatest risk. In this context, hypoglycaemia results from hyperinsulinism, which is either generated by pancreas anomalies (nesidioblastosis) and/or caused by an overstimulation of ß cells by incretins, mainly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Glucose absorption is both accelerated and increased because of the direct communication between the gastric pouch and the jejunum. This is a post-surgical exaggeration of a natural adaptation that is seen in patients who have not undergone surgery in whom glucose is infused directly into the jejunum. There is not always a correspondence between symptoms and biological traits; however, hyperinsulinism is constant if hypoglycaemia is severe and there are neuroglucopenic symptoms. The treatment relies firstly on changes in eating habits, splitting food intake into five to six daily meals, slowing gastric emptying, reducing the glycaemic load and glycaemic index of foods, using fructose and avoiding stress at meals. Pharmacological treatment with acarbose is efficient, but other drugs still need to be validated in a greater number of subjects (insulin, glucagon, calcium channel blockers, somatostatin analogues and GLP-1 analogues). Lastly, if the surgical option has to be used, the benefits (efficient symptom relief) and the risks (weight regain, diabetes) should be weighed carefully.

Determinants of changes in muscle mass after bariatric surgery.

AIM: The constituents of weight loss following bariatric surgery are poorly known. There is an expectation of a limited loss of lean body mass (LBM), and a significant loss of fat mass (FM) as well as muscle mass (MM), which could lead to functional loss and metabolic impairment. This prospective study analysed the determinants of MM changes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy. METHODS: The study cohort comprised 114 consecutive candidates for bariatric surgery referred to a bariatric surgery centre. Using DEXA, the subjects' body composition was assessed before, and three and 12 months (n=92) after, the surgery, along with their biological status. The main study outcome was changes in MM. RESULTS: At three months, patients had lost 20.3 kg, made up of 41% LBM and 59% FM. The contribution of MM to weight loss was 16.4%. Cluster analysis showed that 52 patients lost<15% of their weight as MM, while 62 patients lost>15% as MM. At 12 months, patients had lost 37 kg, made up of 70% FM and 30% LBM. At this time, only 27 patients lost>15% of their weight as MM. The determinants that were negatively and independently associated with MM changes at three months were FM loss and changes in glycaemia and thyroid-stimulating hormone ([TSH]; thyrotropin) before surgery, whereas change in glycaemia was the only 12-month determinant associated with MM changes. CONCLUSION: Two phenotypes - one with muscle wasting and the other with acceptable muscle loss - with a threshold of 15% and very few predictive factors were identified by this study.

Nutrition, Frailty and Prevention of Disabilities with Aging.

The heterogeneous group of older adults may be differentiated into three subgroups in order to facilitate the development and implementation of personalized healthcare interventions: 1) "disabled individuals" (i.e., those needing assistance in the accomplishment of basic activities of daily living), 2) "frail individuals" (i.e., those presenting some limitations and impairments in the absence of functional disability), and 3) the "robust individuals" (i.e., those who are neither frail or disabled). Despite the growing evidence linking frailty to poor outcomes, this syndrome is yet adequately considered in the clinical practice. There is indeed a lack of recognition of frail individuals, frequently leading to inadequate or inappropriate offer of healthcare services. The assessment of frailty in older adults is recommended to preventively act before the activation of the irreversible cascade of disability. Characteristic features of frailty (e.g., weakness, low energy, slow walking speed, low physical activity, and weight loss) clearly suggest the existence of a close link between nutrition and the status of extreme vulnerability (to intend both from a physical and cognitive viewpoint). Interestingly, recent clinical experiences in the field of frailty and nutrition have demonstrated that this syndrome is often related to relevant prevalence of malnutrition and risk of becoming malnourished. In the present article, it is proposed a review of existing evidence in the field of nutrition and frailty. Potential nutritional interventions for preventing frailty and age-related disabling conditions are also discussed.

Validation of a new tool: the calorie intake tool, to easily estimate the energy intake of diseased aged patient.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to validate the Calorie Intake Tool (CIT), a new tool to estimate energy intake. DESIGN, SETTING AND PATIENTS: 100 patients older than 75 were randomly selected in seven geriatric units at Toulouse University Hospital. MEASUREMENTS: Energy intake was calculated for each subject with the CIT and by weighing the food consumed. RESULTS: Total calorie intake did not differ significantly between the two methods, 1318 ± 586 for CIT and 1353 ± 625 for food weighing. The Intraclass Correlation coefficient (ICC) was higher than 0.89 for total calorie intake and the Bland and Altman analysis was consistent with these results and showed a bias for high calorie intake (mean error 35 ± 420 kcal). CONCLUSION: The study shows that the CIT for the evaluation of calorie intake in elderly diseased patients is valid against the reference method (weighing the food consumed).

Cognitive frailty: rational and definition from an (I.A.N.A./I.A.G.G.) international consensus group.

The frailty syndrome has recently attracted attention of the scientific community and public health organizations as precursor and contributor of age-related conditions (particularly disability) in older persons. In parallel, dementia and cognitive disorders also represent major healthcare and social priorities. Although physical frailty and cognitive impairment have shown to be related in epidemiological studies, their pathophysiological mechanisms have been usually studied separately. An International Consensus Group on "Cognitive Frailty" was organized by the International Academy on Nutrition and Aging (I.A.N.A) and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (I.A.G.G) on April 16th, 2013 in Toulouse (France). The present report describes the results of the Consensus Group and provides the first definition of a "Cognitive Frailty" condition in older adults. Specific aim of this approach was to facilitate the design of future personalized preventive interventions in older persons. Finally, the Group discussed the use of multidomain interventions focused on the physical, nutritional, cognitive and psychological domains for improving the well-being and quality of life in the elderly. The consensus panel proposed the identification of the so-called "cognitive frailty" as an heterogeneous clinical manifestation characterized by the simultaneous presence of both physical frailty and cognitive impairment. In particular, the key factors defining such a condition include: 1) presence of physical frailty and cognitive impairment (CDR=0.5); and 2) exclusion of concurrent AD dementia or other dementias. Under different circumstances, cognitive frailty may represent a precursor of neurodegenerative processes. A potential for reversibility may also characterize this entity. A psychological component of the condition is evident and concurs at increasing the vulnerability of the individual to stressors.

How to design nutritional intervention trials to slow cognitive decline in apparently healthy populations and apply for efficacy claims: a statement from the International Academy on Nutrition and Aging Task Force.

Interventions are crucial as they offer simple and inexpensive public health solutions that will be useful over the long term use. A Task Force on designing trials of nutritional interventions to slow cognitive decline in older adults was held in Toulouse in September 2012. The aim of the Task Force was to bring together leading experts from academia, the food industry and regulatory agencies to determine the best trial designs that would enable us to reach our goal of maintaining or improving cognitive function in apparently healthy aging people. An associated challenge for this Task Force was to determine the type of trials required by the Public Food Agencies for assessing the impact of nutritional compounds in comparison to well established requirements for drug trials. Although the required quality of the study design, rationale and statistical analysis remains the same, the studies designed to show reduction of cognitive decline require a long duration and the objectives of this task force was to determine best design for these trials. Two specific needs were identified to support trials of nutritional interventions: 1- Risk- reduction strategies are needed to tackle the growing burden of cognitive decline that may lead to dementia, 2- Innovative study designs are needed to improve the quality of these studies.

Hydration and cognitive performance.

A clinical link exists between severe dehydration and cognitive performance. Using rapid and severe water loss induced either by intense exercise and/or heat stress, initial studies suggested there were alterations in short-term memory and cognitive function related to vision, but more recent studies have not all confirmed these data. Some studies argue that water loss is not responsible for the observations made, and studies compensating water losses have failed to prevent the symptoms. Studies in children have suggested that drinking extra water helps cognitive performance, but these data rely on a small number of children. In older adults (mean age around 60) the data are not strong enough to support a relationship between mild dehydration and cognitive function. Data on frail elderly and demented people are lacking. Methodological heterogeneity in these studies are such that the relationship between mild dehydration and cognitive performance cannot be supported.

A systematic review of the literature concerning the relationship between obesity and mortality in the elderly.

INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases and premature mortality, but the extent of these associations among the elderly is under debate. The aim of this systematic literature review (SR) is to collate and critically assess the available information of the impact of obesity on mortality in the elderly. METHODS: In PubMed, there are three-hundred twelve papers on the relationship between obesity and mortality among older adults. These papers were analysed on the basis of their abstracts, and sixteen studies were considered suitable for the purpose of the study. It was possible to perform a pooled estimate for aggregated data in three different studies. CONCLUSION: The results of this SR document that an increased mortality in obese older adults. The limitation of BMI to index obesity and the noted protective action of a moderate increase in BMI on mortality are highlighted. Waist circumference is an indicator of central adiposity and potentially as good a risk factor for mortality as BMI in obese elderly adults.

Post-bypass hypoglycaemia: a review of current findings.

Gastric bypass is one of the most efficient strategies for long-term weight loss and reduction of the comorbidities associated with morbid obesity. Of the complications secondary to gastric bypass, hypoglycaemic episodes have so far been poorly studied. The present study is a comprehensive report of the fewer than 100 cases described in the literature. It shows that strict diagnostic criteria should be applied to differentiate true intense neuroglucopenic symptoms associated with low glucose values (<2.8 mmol/L) from the more frequent symptoms of the dumping syndrome and those occurring in the context of lower-than-normal plasma glucose concentrations. The pancreatic beta-cell hyperfunction initially deemed responsible for hypoglycaemic episodes because of frequent islet abnormalities is described and reappraised in this report. The few validated therapeutic options are also discussed.

Gait speed at usual pace as a predictor of adverse outcomes in community-dwelling older people an International Academy on Nutrition and Aging (IANA) Task Force.

INTRODUCTION: The use of a simple, safe, and easy to perform assessment tool, like gait speed, to evaluate vulnerability to adverse outcomes in community-dwelling older people is appealing, but its predictive capacity is still questioned. The present manuscript summarises the conclusions of an expert panel in the domain of physical performance measures and frailty in older people, who reviewed and discussed the existing literature in a 2-day meeting held in Toulouse, France on March 12-13, 2009. The aim of the IANA Task Force was to state if, in the light of actual scientific evidence, gait speed assessed at usual pace had the capacity to identify community-dwelling older people at risk of adverse outcomes, and if gait speed could be used as a single-item tool instead of more comprehensive but more time-consuming assessment instruments. METHODS: A systematic review of literature was performed prior to the meeting (Medline search and additional pearling of reference lists and key-articles supplied by Task Force members). Manuscripts were retained for the present revision only when a high level of evidence was present following 4 pre-selected criteria: a) gait speed, at usual pace, had to be specifically assessed as a single-item tool, b) gait speed should be measured over a short distance, c) at baseline, participants had to be autonomous, community-dwelling older people, and d) the evaluation of onset of adverse outcomes (i.e. disability, cognitive impairment, institutionalisation, falls, and/or mortality) had to be assessed longitudinally over time. Based on the prior criteria, a final selection of 27 articles was used for the present manuscript. RESULTS: Gait speed at usual pace was found to be a consistent risk factor for disability, cognitive impairment, institutionalisation, falls, and/or mortality. In predicting these adverse outcomes over time, gait speed was at least as sensible as composite tools. CONCLUSIONS: Although more specific surveys needs to be performed, there is sufficient evidence to state that gait speed identifies autonomous community-dwelling older people at risk of adverse outcomes and can be used as a single-item assessment tool. The assessment at usual pace over 4 meters was the most often used method in literature and might represent a quick, safe, inexpensive and highly reliable instrument to be implemented.