YOUNG people with severe obesity who underwent weight-loss surgery at age 19 or younger continued to see sustained weight loss 10 years later, according to recent research. The USA-based team also found that these young patients saw continued resolution of obesity-related comorbidities 10 years later.
The study, known as Teen Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen LABS), compared young people who had undergone bariatric surgery, gastric bypass, or sleeve gastrectomy. The research team found that after 10 years, participants sustained an average of 20% reduction in body mass index (BMI), 55% reduction of Type 2 diabetes, 57% reduction of hypertension, and 54% reduction of abnormal cholesterol.
Importantly, the authors noted, the 55% reduction in Type 2 diabetes was much higher than the rates observed in adults after weight-loss surgery (18% at seven years and 12.7% at 12 years) in a recently published study.
Type 2 diabetes has previously been shown to progress more rapidly when it occurs in young people. These findings shed light on the greater health benefits and durability of bariatric surgery in youth than would be expected in similarly treated adults, therefore demonstrating the usefulness of this treatment approach.
Reference
Ryder JR et al. Ten-year outcomes after bariatric surgery in adolescents. N Engl J Med. 2024;391(17):1656-8.
