Gastric balloon to help treat obesity and diabetes

Bariatric surgery, which involves reducing the volume of the stomach, is considered a highly effective method of combating obesity and type 2 diabetes. However, only a few patients receive this invasive procedure.

An alternative approach to solving the problem was tested by researchers from King's College London, HighTech + reported referring to Science Daily.

They investigated the effectiveness of the newly created Sleeveballoon medical device, a special ball connected to the sleeve. A ball is inserted into the stomach, and the sleeve covers the beginning of the small intestine. Unlike traditional bariatric surgery, the Sleeveballoon installation is a simple and minimally invasive procedure.

Experiments with mice fed high-fat foods confirmed that the effect of Sleeveballoon is comparable to the effect of bariatria.

The device reduced food intake by 60%, and fat mass - by 57%. Blood glucose also decreased by 57%.

The device must be in the body for 6-12 months. It is unclear how its removal will affect the appetite and the accumulation of fat. New research will help find this out.

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