Bariatric Surgery Cuts The Risk Of Developing Serious Health Problems

Bariatric surgery helped reduce the risk of heart attack and type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

When compared to those who did not have weight-loss surgery, researchers found that participants who underwent bariatric surgery were 70 percent less likely to suffer from a heart attack and nine times more likely to show major improvements in type 2 diabetes, according to Health Day.

"Obesity is one of the biggest health problems of our generation. Rates of cardiovascular disease, although slowly declining, are still alarmingly high while Type 2 diabetes is on the rise, affecting 3.5 million people in Britain. Finding effective ways to tackle the obesity crisis is therefore a key public health strategy," said lead study author Dr Ian Douglas the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, in a news release. "Whilst effective prevention is clearly needed, our findings show that as well as helping patients substantially lose weight, bariatric surgery improves serious obesity-related illnesses as well as reducing the risk of developing them."

During the study, researchers reviewed medical records of close to four years from more than 3,800 obese individuals who had received weight-loss surgery. Average age of the patients were 45 and 81 percent were women. Researchers also compared them to a control group of obese people who did not receive the surgery.

Despite the benefits of bariatric surgery--including gastric band surgery, sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass--the researchers have come to know that not enough obese people are signing up for the procedure

"Unfortunately, less than 1 percent of the patients who could benefit from this surgery currently receive surgery," concluded co-study author Rachel Batterham, via NorthernCalifornia.com. "This represents a major missed opportunity in terms of improving health and economic savings. Action is now needed to remedy this situation."

The study is published in the journal PLOS Medicine.

Related Articles

Obesity Gene: Boosting Appetite-Controlling Protein May Help

Fast Food TV Ads May Be Increasing Your Child's Obesity Risk

For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).