A retrospective study reported at the recent 94th Annual Meeting of the American College of Endocrinology (ENDO) showed that in obese diabetic patients, the duration of diabetes was the only factor associated with recurrence of diabetes after bariatric surgery, with a higher risk of recurrence in those with longer duration of disease. The study enrolled 72 obese diabetic patients. Diabetes remission was defined as an HbA1c level <6.5% without medication; relapse was defined as an HbA1c level ≥6.5%, a fasting glucose level ≥126 mg/dl, or the need to reapply glucose-lowering medication. The investigators reported that after bariatric surgery, 91.6% of subjects achieved diabetes remission, and after 12 months postoperatively, 21.2% of subjects experienced a recurrence of diabetes, with 5 cases occurring within 2 years postoperatively and 1 recurrence each within the 3rd, 4th and 5th years postoperatively. The risk of diabetes recurrence after bariatric surgery was nearly 3-fold higher in those with diabetes duration ≥5 years compared to those with diabetes diagnosed within a short time before surgery. Duration of diabetes was the only clinical factor for recurrence of diabetes after bariatric surgery (OR=1.26, P=0.0021) Therefore, obese diabetic patients benefit more from early bariatric surgery.