BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS OF PARTICIPANTS IN THE MOLECULAR, METABOLIC AND NUTRITIONAL CHANGES AFTER METABOLIC SURGERY IN OBESE DIABETIC PATIENTS (MOMEN) STUDY

Abstract

INTRODUCTION
Metabolic surgery is proven to be effective in treating obesity-related conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, its impact on obese diabetic patients in Malaysia is not well understood. The MOMEN study aims to examine the molecular and metabolomic changes associated with diabetes remission in obese individuals with T2DM who undergo metabolic surgery. This paper presents the baseline anthropometric and cardiometabolic profiles of patients enrolled in the study.

METHODOLOGY
This study included 75 patients who underwent metabolic surgery in multiple hospitals and had a body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2 (obesity criteria defined by WHO/IASO/IOTF, 2000). Weight, height, and waist circumference (WC) measurements were obtained using a digital scale (SECA 813), a stadiometer (SECA 213), and a measuring tape (SECA 201), respectively. Fasting venous blood samples were analysed for HbA1c, uric acid, lipid, and liver profiles. Participants were categorised into three groups based on their HbA1c values (Malaysia Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of T2DM, 2020): non-diabetes, pre-diabetes, and diabetes.

RESULT
The mean age of the participants was 37.8 ± 8.1 years, with a majority being female (69.3%) and Malay (65.3%). The median BMI and WC were 38.1 (16.6) kg/m2 and 123.5 (25.3) cm, respectively. The non-diabetes group exhibited significantly lower median values for weight, BMI, WC, triglycerides, alanine aminotransferase, and aspartate aminotransferase, and higher median values for HDL-C, compared to both the pre-diabetes and diabetes groups (p-value for all comparisons <0.01). Despite these differences, most variables, particularly lipid profiles, were elevated across all study groups and a gradual increase was observed from the non-diabetes to the diabetes group.

CONCLUSION
The baseline characteristics of the participants revealed elevated cardiovascular risk despite the absence of diabetes. The differences between study groups in selected variables at baseline will be considered when analysing the study's future results. Follow-up data collection for 6- and 12-month post-surgery is ongoing.