Bariatric Surgery Benefits Long Term

(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Obese people who undergo bariatric surgery to help them lose weight can expect weight loss, improved lifestyle, and reduction in disease risk factors to be long-term, according to a new study.

Researchers in Sweden evaluated nearly 6,000 obese patients in the Swedish Obese Subjects Study. Obese subjects who underwent gastric surgery were compared with obese subjects receiving more conventional treatments (i.e. behavior modification). About 4,000 of the participants were followed for two years while nearly 2,000 had a 10-year follow-up.

Results show after two years, weight increased by 0.1 percent in conventionally treated patients while those who had the surgery had a 23.4-percent loss in weight. After 10 years, there was a 16.1-percent weight loss in surgery patients while the other group had a 1.6-percent weight increase.

The study also shows at two- and 10-year follow-ups, those who had the surgery had better recovery rates from — and lower incidence rates of — diabetes and hypertriglyceridemia than conventionally treated patients. However, incidents of high cholesterol and hypertension were similar in both groups.

Authors conclude, “As compared with conventional therapy, bariatric surgery appears to be a viable option for the treatment of severe obesity resulting in long-term weight loss, improved lifestyle, and, except for hypercholesterolemia, amelioration in risk factors that were elevated at baseline.”

SOURCE: The New England Journal of Medicine, 2004;351:2683-2693