Bariatric Surgery Cuts CVD Risk in Patients With Obesity, NAFLD

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 23, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Bariatric surgery is associated with a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among individuals with severe obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), according to a study published online Oct. 7 in JAMA Network Open.

Mohamed I. Elsaid, Ph.D., from The Ohio State University in Columbus, and colleagues examined the association between bariatric surgery and CVD risk in individuals with severe obesity and NAFLD. The analysis included 86,964 adults (aged 18 to 64 years) with NAFLD and severe obesity identified from the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database (2007 through 2017).

The researchers found that 34.8 percent underwent bariatric surgery and 65.2 percent received nonsurgical care. The surgical group had a lower incidence of CVD (incidence rate difference, 4.8 per 100 person-years). Bariatric surgery was associated with a lower risk for CVD at the end of the study (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.51) versus nonsurgical care. In individuals with surgery, there was lower risk for primary composite CVD outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.53) and risk for secondary composite CVD outcomes (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.50) versus individuals without surgery.

“Although bariatric surgery is a more aggressive approach than lifestyle modifications, it may be associated with other benefits, such as improved quality of life and decreased long-term health care burden,” the authors write.

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