Effects of sleeve gastrectomy and medical treatment for obesity on glucagon-like peptide 1 levels and glucose homeostasis in non-diabetic subjects

Abstract

Background: The effects of medical and surgical treatments for obesity on glucose metabolism and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) levels independent of weight loss remain unclear. This study aims to assess plasma glucose levels, insulin sensitivity and secretion, and GLP-1 levels before and after sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or medical treatment (MED) for obesity.

Methods: This study is a prospective, controlled, non-randomised study. Two groups of non-diabetic obese patients with similar BMIs, including a SG group (BMI, 35.5 ± 0.9 kg/m(2); n = 6) and a MED group (BMI, 37.7 ± 1.9 kg/m(2); n = 6) and a group of lean subjects (BMI, 21.7 ± 0.7 kg/m(2); n = 8).

Results: Plasma glucose, insulin, and total GLP-1 levels at fasting and after the intake of a standard liquid meal at baseline and at 2 months post-intervention. At baseline, total GLP-1 levels were similar, but obese patients had lower insulin sensitivity and higher insulin secretion than lean subjects. At 2 months post-intervention, SG and MED patients achieved similar weight loss (14.4 ± 0.8%, 15.3 ± 0.9%, respectively). Insulin sensitivity increased in SG and MED patients; however, postprandial insulin secretion decreased after MED, but not after SG. The incremental area under the curve of GLP-1 increased after SG (P = 0.04), but not after MED.

Conclusions: Weight loss by medical or surgical treatment improved insulin sensitivity. However, only MED corrected the hyperinsulinemic postprandial state associated to obesity. Postprandial GLP-1 levels increased significantly after SG without duodenal exclusion, which may explain why insulin secretion did not decrease following this surgery.