Posted by Patient Help Desk on July 12, 2008 under Bariatric Research News | 
As millions of formerly obese men and women have weight loss surgery, the success stories are growing at a fantastic rate. An increasingly growing body of research is illustrating the benefits of these life-changing procedures for those in need. Among the conditions found to be reduced and maintained with the completion of Lap-Band and/or gastric bypass procedures are diabetes and various cardiovascular risks, just to name a few.
But a ground-breaking study now indicates that undergoing these procedures may impart relief for lower back pain in the morbidly obese. The study’s findings actually represent a dramatic breakthrough for a large segment of the nation’s population. An estimated 75-85% of America’s adults can expect to suffer from back pain during their lifetime. And of course, the number of obese Americans is continually growing; from 2005-2006, there were thought to be 72 million obese Americans!
Generally, obese men and women are afflicted with higher rates of both hip and knee arthritis. As of yet, a link between being overweight and chronic lower back pain – specifically lumbar spinal degeneration, a leading cause – had yet to be discovered. These patients are usually ordered to just lose weight to relieve their back pain.
Putting This Back Study’s Findings Front & Center
This study, conducted by University of Southern California researchers, involved 8 morbidly obese men and 30 morbidly obese women patients. All of these subjects suffered from pre-existing back conditions, and all underwent gastric bypass surgery. Six months after having surgery and experiencing dramatic weight loss, the study’s subjects showed a 44% decrease in pain and discomfort. On average, the subjects each lost 85 pounds for their individual weight loss amounts.
“This study provides evidence that substantial weight reduction following bariatric surgery results in moderate reductions in pre-existing back pain within six months of weight loss,” says Dr. Paul Khoueir, who presented the findings at the annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. “While this initial research is promising, larger long-term trials are needed to prove the efficacy of this treatment.” Additional research is needed to ensure that the study’s findings are reliable long-term.
Posted by Patient Help Desk on May 4, 2008 under Bariatric Research News |
Are you familiar with your Body Mass Index (BMI) score? You may want to learn yours, especially if you’re struggling with excessive weight. You see, this number can help to determine whether you’re at risk for cardiovascular problems!
To calculate your BMI score, you need to figure out the ratio of your weight to your height, squared.
Typically, a “healthy” BMI score is one between 18.5 and 24.9. Countless clinical studies have shown that the higher the BMI score, the greater your likelihood of developing a wide array of harmful conditions. Among these are: diabetes, arthritis, low-back pain, skin and psychological disorders, menstrual disturbances, and various cardiovascular problems.
How Effective Are BMI Scores for Those Considering Weight Loss Surgery?
But before you panic, it’s important to consider that BMI scores are NOT fool-proof. They can fail to accurately recognize body fat among athletes and more muscular people, while also miscalculating decreased muscle mass, such as that of the elderly.
The overweight and the obese may be misrepresented by BMI scores, as well. Traditionally, medical experts believed that the overweight and obese could ward off cardiovascular risks by undergoing bariatric surgery.
These procedures were performed on men and women with BMI scores of 40 or higher, or those at least 100 pounds overweight, considered “morbidly obese.”
The problem is, many patients are considered overweight, but NOT obese; these men and women generally have BMI scores between 35 and 40. These individuals can be afflicted with dangerous conditions, including heart disease or dependent diabetes. As such, these patients are good candidates for weight loss procedures. Amazingly, research has shown that the overweight may find the surgeries more beneficial than the morbidly obese!
A ground-breaking University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center study focused on this proposed connection between bariatric surgery guidelines and how they related to BMI scores and cardiovascular disease. The researchers found that several subjects displayed significant heart disease risk factors, as well as BMI scores lower than 40.
Valuable Benefits for “Obese” Patients
What does this mean? Well, those patients considered “obese” but not “morbidly obese” would definitely improve their cardiovascular health by undergoing bariatric surgery. This is because certain moderately overweight individuals don’t store fat in their cells as efficiently as the morbidly obese. Therefore, their cardiovascular systems are not as susceptible to potential damage.
Surprisingly, even those men and women with BMI scores as low as 30 can as poor cardiovascular health as those with much higher scores. “Our results show that cardiovascular risk factors do not necessarily worsen with increasing obesity,” says Dr. Edward Livingston, chairman of GI/endocrine surgery at UT Southwestern and the study’s lead author. “They also support the concept that obesity, by itself, doesn’t trigger an adverse cardiovascular risk profile or increased risk of death.”
Posted by Patient Help Desk on April 10, 2008 under Bariatric Surgery & Money |
Every day, we’re exposed to a startling variety of food-related advertisements on television, in print publications, all over the Web, and even on movie screens. It’s becoming almost impossible to completely escape this high-calorie onslaught of fat- and calorie-laden junk food. So, is it really that surprising that a large percentage of America’s adult population is now considered obese?
Let’s put this potential crisis in perspective. According to a published article in the journal Obesity, by 2030, if trends don’t reverse, an estimated 86% of the nation’s population will be considered overweight or obese! And now it seems that the American obesity epidemic is having an effect on those with a healthy weight.
Excess Pounds Can Mean Excess Dollars
As you well know, obesity may call for specialized healthcare needs. Research shows that the obese are at a greater risk of developing cardiovascular conditions, as well as type 2 diabetes. A published Newsweek study suggests that obesity is taking a staggering toll on America’s finances. Among the factors contributing to the ever-growing price tag are:
Ø Reduced pay rates – in a Stanford University study, it was observed that both obese men and women earn an average of $3.41 per hour less ($7,093 annually) than their skinnier co-workers. Older obese workers are more affected, most likely due to increased healthcare costs.
Ø Reduced hours worked – the obese miss about one week per year due to weight-related ailments. In their book “The Fattening of America,” authors Eric A. Finkelstein and Laurie Zuckerman found that obese employees typically cost firms employing 1,000 employees $285,000 annually.
Ø Increased medical costs – overweight men and women have been shown to cost companies more than their healthier co-workers. Overweight men incurred $170 in annual medical costs, while overweight females incurred $495 more. In addition, the obese cause hospitals to spend more, as well.
Ø Increased air travel costs – the overweight and/or obese pay an added price in the sky. They may require additional seats, as well as increased fuel. In 2004, the CDC found that airlines spent $275 million for an 350 million gallons of added fuel to support the extra weight.
Ø Increased gasoline costs – as you’d expect, being overweight or obese also requires additional gasoline. When comparing the years 1960 and 2006, Americans pumped 938 million more gallons of fuel a year. This works out to an estimated $3.55 billion in annual gas increases nationwide!
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has determined that 24 million are now afflicted with type 2 diabetes. The skyrocketing number of those afflicted with diabetes-related obesity (or “diabesity”) may be one of the biggest causes of our ever-increasing health insurance premiums.
Just how expensive is diabetes? According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes-related medical expenditures resulted in about $116 billion in 2007. As such, American companies big and small are considering gastric bypass/bariatric surgery as an alternative for obesity. Today, it’s believed that 140,000 gastric bypass surgeries are performed nationwide annually.
For more information on bariatric surgery and surgical options, please visit our sponsor, NE Baptist Bariatric Center, a Bariatric Center of Excellence.
