SEMINAR
Associate Professor of Medicine
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Blandine Laferrère, M.D., is Associate Professor of Medicine at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, Attending Physician is the Division of Endocrinology, and Member of the Columbia University Obesity Nutrition Research Center and the Diabetes Research Center. Her interest is the relation between weight changes and diabetes risk. Specifically, the focus of her current research is to understand the mechanisms of improved beta cell function after surgical weight loss by gastric bypass surgery. Her laboratory has contributed to the understanding of the role of incretins as a mechanism of diabetes remission after bariatric surgery.
Dr. Laferrère is a reviewer for many journals and grants agencies. She has over 80 peer reviewed publications, reviews and chapters.
Bariatric surgery results in weight loss of great magnitude, sustained overtime, with remarkable improvement of type 2 diabetes. The rapid and greater improvement of diabetes after gastric bypass surgery compared to purely restrictive surgeries has led to the hypothesis that some gut factors may be responsible for glucose control, independent of weight loss. However, the greater weight loss after bypass is a significant confounding factor. Recent studies comparing GBP with restrictive surgeries or with diet, at matched weight loss, show similar effect of these interventions on insulin sensitivity and beta cell function, refuting the importance of the role of gut factors. The presentation will review data on the respective role of the incretins and weight loss on glucose control after GBP.
Host: Prof. François Pralong