A recent NIH-funded study demonstrates that young people who undergo weight-loss surgery experience sustained weight loss and a significant reduction in obesity-related health problems a decade later. The Teen Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen LABS) study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, tracked adolescents who underwent bariatric surgery, revealing long-term benefits exceeding those typically seen in adults.
The study focused on participants who had gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy at age 19 or younger. Ten years post-surgery, the participants maintained, on average, a 20% reduction in body mass index (BMI). Furthermore, the study reported a 55% reduction in type 2 diabetes, a 57% reduction in hypertension, and a 54% reduction in abnormal cholesterol levels. Notably, both gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy yielded similar positive outcomes.
The observed 55% reduction in type 2 diabetes among adolescents is significantly higher than the remission rates reported in adults following weight-loss surgery. Recent studies have shown remission rates of 18% at seven years and 12.7% at 12 years in adult populations. This disparity underscores the potential for greater and more durable health benefits when bariatric surgery is performed earlier in life.
"Type 2 diabetes tends to progress more rapidly when it occurs in young people, and these findings demonstrate the greater health benefits and durability of bariatric surgery in youth than would be expected in similarly treated adults," the researchers noted.
The Teen LABS study, supported by NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), provides compelling evidence for the long-term efficacy of bariatric surgery in adolescents with severe obesity. The data, available through the NIDDK Central Repository, offers valuable insights into the potential for early intervention to mitigate the long-term health consequences of obesity.
