TUESDAY, Nov. 5, 2019 (HealthDay News) — The benefits of sleeve gastrectomy (SG) extend to patients with a body mass index <35 kg/m², according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society (ObesityWeek), held from Nov. 3 to 7 in Las Vegas.
Oliver Varban, M.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues compared patient characteristics, 30-day risk-adjusted complication rates, and patient-reported outcomes for 1,073 patients with a BMI <35 kg/m² and 44,511 patients with a BMI >35 kg/m² who underwent primary SG between 2006 and 2018.
The researchers found that complication rates did not differ significantly between the groups (6.9 versus 5.2 percent), nor did the rates of discontinuation of medications for hypertension (59.7 versus 54.1 percent), hyperlipidemia (54.3 versus 52.2 percent), and diabetes (oral, 79.2 versus 78.1 percent; insulin, 64.2 versus 62.2 percent). Achieving a normal BMI was more likely for patients with a BMI <35 kg/m² (36.3 versus 6.01 percent), and these patients had higher scores for psychological well-being (77.9 versus 73.0) and body image (50.6 versus 42.4), as well as higher rates of satisfaction (90.9 versus 84.6 percent).
“We hope the study encourages more patients to consider weight-loss surgery earlier in their disease and for more health insurers to recognize the benefits of lowering the current BMI threshold,” Varban said in a statement.
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