How The Allurion Program Can Help With Diabetes

(MENAFN- Mid-East)

Words by Lima Fazaa, Nutritional Consultant for Allurion | Chief of Nutrition at AIG Clinics & Part-time Clinical Dietitian at Dubai London Hospital.

Diabetes is now a major health challenge worldwide, with more than half a billion people living with this condition every day – or 1 in 10 adults.1 Looking closer to home, the UAE is currently ranked the 10th-highest in the world for diabetes prevalence, according to Dubai Health Authority, and yet Type 2 diabetes, which affects the majority of adults with the disease (only 10% are estimated to have Type 1 diabetes) is described as preventable in nearly half of all cases.

With World Diabetes Day around the corner, it is an ideal time to look at how weight management can help reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes.

So, what is diabetes? It's a chronic disease that occurs when your body either can't produce enough insulin (Type 1 diabetes) or can't effectively use the insulin it does produce (Type 2 diabetes). It can lead to a range of health complications, including heart or kidney disease, nerve damage and vision problems. Whilst Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are different diseases, they have similar symptoms and, over time, can lead to many of the same complications. That said, unlike Type 1 diabetes, Type 2 diabetes can be prevented.

This is due to the direct relationship between Type 2 diabetes and weight. Type 2 diabetes is often called a 'silent' pandemic because it can develop over many years in response to diet or lifestyle behaviors. Often, people do not realize they have Type 2 diabetes until they develop symptoms of a complication. However, there are lifestyle changes that can prevent or delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. These include daily movement or exercise such as walking, cycling, gym workouts, etc., dietary changes to adopt healthy, well-varied eating habits, rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grain carbs and healthy fats, and maintaining a healthy weight. Recent guidelines from the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes include weight management as a primary treatment for Type 2 diabetes.

Losing five percent of total body weight can have an impact on managing prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes risk. Seven percent weight loss can mean the difference between developing Type 2 diabetes or not. With people on the cusp of developing Type 2 diabetes, a seven to eight percent weight loss can pull them back from the brink. And, for those already diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, weight loss and remission are closely linked. This is where the Allurion Program comes into play, as it has been clinically proven to treat people who are living with Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The ground-breaking data, which was peer-reviewed, published, and presented at The Obesity Society (TOS) Obesity Week 2021, reported that the program can bring them into disease remission, which means their blood sugar levels come back to below the diabetes range.6

The study included 226 patients who followed the Allurion Program to achieve a healthier weight. On average, patients in the study had lost 17 (or 16.2% of their total initial body weight) after 4 months on the Allurion Programme. All patients in the trial had been diagnosed as having Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes prior to the study. The trial participants who had Type 2 diabetes saw their HbA1c levels improve from 7.0±0.6% to 5.5±1.1%. Those living with pre-diabetes saw their HbA1c levels improve from 6.0±0.2% to 4.9±0.7%. These significant HbA1c reductions meant that people in both groups were in complete disease remission by the end of the clinical trial after just 4 months. Their HBA1c levels had gone down to a normal range found in people who don't have Type 2 diabetes.

That means the Allurion Program, including a state-of-the-art gastric balloon pill, six-months nutritional coaching, and digital support tools, can help manage Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes. The lifestyle change program that works alongside the Allurion Balloon gives patients the knowledge and tools to maintain weight loss, with up to 95% of the weight lost on the program maintained one year down the line.

• Davies, M, Aroda, V, Collins, et al. Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes, 2022. A Consensus Report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetes Care. doi: 10.2337/dci22-0034
• Vantanasiri et al. Obes Surg 2020, Apr. 30, pgs 3341–3346 The Efficacy and Safety of a Procedureless Gastric Balloon for Weight Loss: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
• Ienca R, Rosa M, Pagan Pomar AA, Hansoulle J, and Caballero A. Emerging Role of the New Swallowable Gastric Balloon in Type 2 Diabetes and Prediabetes Treatment. Poster 114. Presented at TOS Obesity Week 2021.
• Ienca et al. Sequential Allurion Balloon Treatment 1- Year Weight Loss Results Approximate Bariatric Surgery Results, TOS Obesity Week, 2020
• Ienca R, Giardiello C, Badiuddin F, et al. Long-Term Efficacy of the Elipse Gastric Balloon System: An International Multicenter Study. Oral Presentation. Presented at TOS Obesity Week 2020.
• National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017 for Disease Control and Prevention website. External link. Updated July 17, 2017. Accessed October 25, 2017
• Wing RR, Lang W, Wadden TA, et al. Benefits of modest weight loss in improving cardiovascular risk factors in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(7):1481-1486. doi:10.2337/dc10-2415
• Ryan DH, Yockey SR. Weight Loss and Improvement in Comorbidity: Differences at 5%, 10%, 15%, and Over. Curr Obes Rep. 2017;6(2):187-194. doi:10.1007/s13679-017-0262-y
• Magkos F, Hjorth MF, Astrup A. Diet and exercise in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2020;16(10):545-555. doi:10.1038/s41574-020-0381-5
• Anderson JW, Kendall CW, Jenkins DJ. Importance of weight management in type 2 diabetes: review with meta-analysis of clinical studies. J Am Coll Nutr. 2003;22(5):331-339. doi:10.1080/07315724.2003.10719316
• Yuen M., Earle R., Kadambi N., et al. A systematic review and evaluation of current evidence reveals 195 Obesity-Associated Disorders (OBAD). The Obesity Society 2016 abstract book 2016:92

About Allurion:

Allurion is dedicated to ending obesity. The Allurion Program is a weight-loss platform that combines the Allurion Gastric Balloon, the world's first and only swallowable, procedure-less gastric balloon for weight loss, the Allurion Virtual Care Suite, including the Allurion Mobile App for consumers, Allurion Insights for healthcare providers featuring the Iris AI Platform, and the Allurion Connected Scale and Health Tracker devices. The Allurion Virtual Care Suite is also available to providers separately from the Allurion Program to help customize, monitor and manage weight-loss therapy for patients regardless of their treatment plan: gastric balloon, surgical, medical or nutritional. The Allurion Gastric Balloon is an investigational device in the United States.

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