BOTTOM LINE
Bariatric surgery successfully helps patients lose weight and reverse diabetes, hypertension, and some hyperlipidemias. We still do not know whether it affects all-cause mortality. (LOE=2c)
Q&A
Ten years after bariatric surgery: weight loss sustained, diabetes and hypertension reversed
- CLINICAL QUESTION: How effective is bariatric surgery in the long term?
- STUDY DESIGN: Non-randomized controlled trial
- ALLOCATION: Unconcealed
- SETTING: Population-based
- SYNOPSIS: A recent meta-analysis found that bariatric surgery successfully treats many of the comorbid conditions associated with obesity. However, most of the studies were of less than 2 years’ duration (JAMA 2004; 292:1724–1737).