In the event of significant excess weight, there is sometimes only the solution of bariatric surgery. This technique, intended for patients suffering from obesity, consists of reducing the size of the stomach and possibly the length of the intestine. It thus allows the loss of many kilos the year following the intervention. However, after the latter, patients would face a lack of postoperative follow-up. So much so that over the years, some regain the weight they had lost. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh (United States) have studied the physiological consequences of this change in the body.
According to their results, published last month in JAMA, gaining weight after bariatric surgery would be linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a deterioration in general health. They also identified that the rate of weight gain was higher during the first year after maximum weight loss, that is, on average two years after the procedure. According to the researchers, these data would allow the early detection and rapid treatment of weight gain.
An increased risk of progression of diabetes
In total, 1,406 patients operated on for their morbid obesity were followed. Their stomachs have been shrunk to reduce appetite and food intake. For six years after surgery, patients were weighed annually. The researchers relied on calculations of weight gain. They give the example of someone who would have lost about 70 kg, then would have gained 13 kg. This person has thus regained 19% of his maximum weight lost. Finally, this level of weight gain was associated with an increased risk of diabetes progression by 51% and a higher risk of deterioration in quality of life linked to physical health by 28%. Increases in cholesterol and blood pressure have also been recorded.
“Although the rate of weight gain decreased over time, participants continued to gain weight throughout the follow-up. […], indicating that healthcare professionals need to be careful over time ”, say the study’s authors in a press release. Wendy C. King, lead author and associate professor in the epidemiology department at Pitt Public Health, qualifies, however: five years after achieving maximum weight loss, participants were maintaining an average of 73% of their maximum weight loss. “So, despite the weight gain, in general, patients who have undergone surgery are much healthier”, she believes.
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