Bariatric surgery can ’safely’ cut health risk in severely obese

March 15th, 2011 - 5:20 pm ICT by ANI  

Washington, March 15 (ANI): Scientists have suggested that bariatric surgery can result in long-term weight loss and significant reductions in cardiac and other risk factors for some severely obese adults.

The statement is the first by the American Heart Association focused solely on bariatric surgery and cardiac risk factors, according to lead author Paul Poirier, of the prevention/rehabilitation program at Quebec Heart and Lung Institute at Laval University Hospital in Canada.

Bariatric surgery encompasses various procedures that decrease appetite while restricting food intake and/or causing food to pass through the gastro-intestinal tract without being fully absorbed or digested.

When reviewing the scientific literature, the statement-writing committee found that, when indicated, bariatric surgery leads to significant weight loss and improvements in the health consequences of being overweight, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, liver disease, high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea and cardiovascular dysfunction. Recent studies have suggested that bariatric surgery prolongs life in the severely obese.

There are, however, surgical risks - including death - and long-term post-surgical lifestyle implications. Patients must make lifelong behavior changes, such as supplement use, and follow up with the surgical team.

“Bariatric procedures are generally safe; however, this is not a benign surgery.

“At the moment, bariatric surgery should be reserved for patients who can undergo surgery safely, have severe obesity and have failed attempts at medical therapy,” said Poirier.

The statement has been published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. (ANI)

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