Gastric bypass surgery in teens can be beneficial for 8 years & beyond: study

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Dyslipidemia is defined by the American Academy of Family Physicians as "elevated total or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, or low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol," which is linked to coronary heart disease and stroke. A new study, which is the longest gastric bypass study done by researchers, show that dyslipidemia decreased in teenagers who underwent gastric bypass surgery as long as eight years ago.

EurekAlert reports that the new study, which was presented at the annual American Heart Association meeting in Orlando, showed that aside from a decrease in dyslipidemia, there was also a 32-percent decrease in body mass index (BMI).

"Those who did not undergo surgery experienced weight gain and no improvement in co-morbidities over time," Elaine Urbina, MD, a cardiologist at Cincinnati Children's, said of the study results. "These findings highlight the concerning long-term health trajectory for those with severe pediatric obesity and suggest that bariatric surgery can meaningfully and durably improve long-term outcomes in teens with this disease."

According to PR Newswire, researchers analyzed 50 surgical patients whose average age was 17 and compared them to 30 patients whose average age was 15, who all participated in a medically supervised weight management program. Only 8 of the 30 non-surgical patients stuck to the program after a year. Results showed that among the 30 non-surgical participants, their body mass index increased by 6.2 percent after eight years while their lipids were constant throughout the time period.

"Those who did not undergo surgery experienced weight gain and no improvement in co-morbidities over time," Dr. Urbina explained. "These findings highlight the concerning long-term health trajectory for those with severe pediatric obesity and suggest that bariatric surgery can meaningfully and durably improve long-term outcomes in teens with this disease."

Additionally, TIME reports that teenagers who undergo gastric bypass surgery and other weight loss surgeries were in fact able to maintain a healthier weight years following the procedure.

WebMD reports that according to the research team led by Dr. Thomas Inge, of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, "We found significant improvements in weight, cardiometabolic health and weight-related quality of life at three years after the [weight-loss] procedure."

Researchers found that there was a remission of obesity, and lowered risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Medscape also reports that weight loss surgery also benefits patients by removing the pressure placed by the excess weight on their joints.

According to Michel Gagner, MD, a bariatric surgeon from Hôpital du Sacre Coeur, Montreal, Quebec, "I think if [obese patients who undergo bariatric surgery] have less joint pain, we will see less hip replacement, knee replacement, arthroscopic surgery done on ankles, and surgery done on feet."