Study: Bariatric Surgery Reduces Heart Risks

Not too long ago, bariatric surgery – known in one of its forms as gastric bypass surgery – was a highly risky procedure. Now, the surgery is safer and doctors say for the obese, it reduces the long-term risks of cardiovascular deaths and events such as heart attack and stroke.

Researchers explained their findings in the January issue of JAMA, the journal of the American Medical Association.

Swedish scientist Lars Sjostromand colleagues conducted a study to test the hypothesis that bariatric surgery is associated with a reduced incidence of cardiovascular events and examined the relationship between weight change and cardiovascular events.

The study is an ongoing, nonrandomized, prospective, controlled study conducted at 25 public surgical departments and 480 primary health care centers in Sweden, and includes 2,010 obese participants who underwent bariatric surgery and 2,037 matched obese controls who received usual care.

"Weight loss might protect against cardiovascular events, but solid evidence is lacking," according to background information in the article.

Reduced death

In the study, bariatric surgery was associated with reduced number of fatal heart attack deaths, with analysis indicating that bariatric surgery was related both to reduced fatal heart attack incidence and total heart attack incidence. Also, bariatric surgery was associated both with reduced number of fatal stroke events and total stroke events.

In bariatric surgery, weight loss is achieved by reducing the size of the stomach. There are at least three principle ways this is achieved; with an implanted medical band, removing a portion of the stomach or by re-routing the small intestines to a small stomach pouch. The goal is to reduce the patient's ability to consume large amounts of food.

The U.S. National Institutes of Health now recommends bariatric surgery for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or greater. As the U.S. deals with a growing obesity epidemic, bariatric surgery is likely to become more common.

As with any major surgery, there can be adverse effects. A recent study found that complications were more likely to occur in patients over 40. A person is not considered a candidate for bariatric surgery unless they have tried and failed at traditional weight-loss methods. Any consideration of this procedure begins with a discussion with your physician.