Who would have thought that weight loss surgery could save us from heart attacks, strokes, and even death?
This surprising discovery came to light in a new study that was showcased at a big meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS).
Big Wins Against Big Problems
Patients who underwent this weight loss surgery reduced their chances of being in the hospital due to a heart attack by over 35%.
They also cut down their chances of a stroke by over 25% and heart failure by nearly 15%. The good news doesn’t stop there. Even if these patients faced these complications, they were less likely to die.
The risk of death dropped by over 27% for heart infection patients, more than 40% for heart failure patients, and nearly 27% for stroke patients.
The Magic Behind Metabolic Surgery
Weight loss surgery, also known as metabolic or bariatric surgery, has already shown its magic in making diabetes disappear in 60-80% of cases.
But not much was known about how this surgery affects heart-related problems in patients whose diabetes didn’t fully go away or came back.
Diabetes can harm blood vessels and nerves controlling the heart over time, doubling the chances of heart disease or stroke.
Gaining Heart Health, Even Without Full Diabetes Remission
“The study shows that patients don’t need to get rid of diabetes completely to gain significant heart benefits from metabolic surgery,” said Jonathan Jenkins, MD, who did the research at the University of Oklahoma in Tulsa.
He was taken aback by the major protective effects this surgery had on small and large blood vessels.
He believes that better control of blood sugar in diabetes patients who didn’t respond fully to metabolic surgery is what drives down the risk of heart problems.
Unearthing the Facts
Researchers used a big database to compare results between diabetes patients who had the surgery but still had the disease (70,083 patients) and patients who only received usual care (348,212 patients).
They found that surgery patients not only had fewer heart-related problems but also spent less time in the hospital and saved a lot more money.
The cost savings ranged from over $1,000 to nearly $4,000. If all U.S. patients with Type 2 diabetes and obesity could achieve these results, it could mean cost savings of over $2 billion a year!
Not Just About Beating Diabetes
“It’s important to remember that the success of metabolic surgery on diabetes isn’t just about making the disease disappear.
The surgery also helps protect against the complications of diabetes,” said Teresa LaMasters, MD, President, ASMBS.
According to ASMBS, only about 1% of those who are eligible for weight-loss surgery actually get it. In 2020, the number of surgeries fell to less than 200,000, the lowest in four years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Big Picture
With 42.4% of Americans suffering from obesity according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), solutions are needed more than ever.
Obesity can weaken the body’s immune system, cause chronic inflammation and increase the risk of many diseases like heart problems, stroke, diabetes, certain cancers, and even COVID-19.
Now, this new study shows a shining light at the end of the tunnel, revealing that metabolic surgery can not only help with weight loss and diabetes but also offers protective benefits against heart problems.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that the MIND diet may reduce the risk of vision loss disease, and Vitamin D could benefit people with diabetic neuropathic pain.
For more information about heart health, please see recent studies about how to remove plaques that cause heart attacks, and results showing a new way to prevent heart attacks and strokes.
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