by

Joseph

Swedish researchers have found evidence that weight loss surgery reduces heart attack risk. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, asserts that weight loss surgery can be effective in cutting obese persons' risk of dying from heart attack or stroke.

Swedish researcher Lars Sjostrum of the Institutes of Medicine, studied 4047 patients in the ongoing Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study. Sjostrum's team is looking at the association between weight loss surgery, weight loss and heart attack and cardiovascular events.

The patients, ranging from 37 - 60 years of age, were recruited between 1987 and 2001 and divided into two groups, the first comprised 2010 patients who underwent bariatric surgery. The remaining 2037 patients acted as the control group and received usual care. 

From there, the scientists followed the patients and gathered some very useful information.

Patients Who Had Weight Loss Surgery Have Better Chances

Sjostrum and his colleagues learned that weight loss surgery patients were less likely to suffer fatal heart attack or stroke than patients who received usual care. During the 14 years of follow-up, the bariatric surgery group suffered 28 cardiovascular events, compared to 49 events among the control group.

The total number of bariatric patients who had first time fatal or nonfatal heart attacks or strokes was 199 out of 2010, which is much better than the control group. Out of the 2037 obese patients who didn't receive weight loss surgery, 234 of them suffered fatal or nonfatal cardiovascular events. 

Putting it bluntly, weight loss surgery patients had less heart attacks and strokes than obese people who didn't have the surgery.

The Benefits Add Up

The SOS study proves that weight loss surgery can be good for the heart. Of course, there are a number of explanations for this.

First of all, bariatric surgery causes patients to lose weight. Weight loss lessens the heart's workload, therefore reducing the likelihood of heart attack or stroke.

Secondly, obesity is often associated with type II diabetes. Diabetes is linked to cardiovascular disease. When patients lose weight, their diabetic profile tends to improve which in turn reduces their cardiovascular disease risk.

Sjostrum and his colleagues concluded that: "Compared with usual care, bariatric surgery was associated with reduced number of cardiovascular deaths and lower incidence of cardiovascular events in obese patients."

You should be aware that Sjostrum's study isn't new. In fact, last October we reported on the results of a much larger bariatric study.

Dr. Helen Henegan from the Bariatric and Metabolic's Cleveland Clinic reviewed data on nearly 17,000 obese patients and discovered that bariatric surgery has a profoundly positive effect on cardiovascular health including reduced blood pressure and decreased C-reactive protein.

Nonetheless, weight loss surgery isn't going to be an option for everyone. For some people, bariatric surgery is just too expensive, thus making it beyond their reach. Additionally, there are folks who simply aren't good candidates for the surgery.

The oldest and most common weight loss methods continue to be a combination of balanced nutrition and physical exercise. People who are healthy weight are less likely to suffer adult onset diabetes or heart disease. Even bariatric surgery patients are more successful in keeping the weight off long term if they eat right and exercise.

Makes sense, doesn't it? Now, what you need to do is follow through and get fit.

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Article Sources 

Sjostrom, L., Peltonen, M., Jacobson, P., Sjostrom, C., Karason, K., Wedel, H., Ahlin, S., Anveden, A., Bengtsson, C., Bergmark, G., Bouchard, C., Carlsson, B., Dahlgren, S., Karlsson, J., Lindroos, A., Lonroth, H., Narbro, K., Naslund, I., Olbers, T., Svensson, P., & Carlsson, L. (2012). Bariatric Surgery and Long-term Cardiovascular Events JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, 307 (1), 56-65 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.1914

Weight Loss Surgery Lowers Cardiovascular Risk, Study

"Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Your Risk Of Dying From A Heart Attack" copyright 2012 Living Fit, Healthy and Happy_(SM). All Rights Reserved.

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