Weight Loss Surgery Benefits on Cardiovascular Disease

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, obesity is a major factor in cardiovascular events. Many studies have been done to look at the benefits of weight loss surgery, as losing weight on their own isn’t showing a significant impact for these potentially fatal medical conditions and diseases. They found that weight loss surgery offered a unique perspective in the long-term benefits for cardiovascular diseases because of the higher probability of long term success. Gastric bypass and other types of surgeries not only help with rapid weight loss, but maintaining that weight loss over an extended period of time.

Ineffective Lifestyle Changes

While everyday, lifestyle changes are recommended by physicians to help with weight loss, it isn’t always enough when cardiovascular diseases or risk factors exist. According to a Contemporary Reviews in Cardiovascular Medicine Study, weight loss surgery offers the individual a better chance at long term results with not just losing weight, but maintaining it. Diet, exercise and lifestyle changes help individuals lose weight in the short term, but long term results are much better with individuals who have undergone weight loss surgery, such as lap band or gastric bypass. It also showed improvement for cardiovascular health. The study found over 61 percent improvement for hypertension and 86 percent improvement for diabetes.

Side Effects of Obesity Improved

According to Medical News Today, there is a long list of medical conditions, many of which are directly related to cardiovascular health, that are improved thanks to weight loss surgery and the maintained weight loss. This includes lowering the risk for heart disease, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels, improving side effects from diabetes and improving mobility, self esteem and personal relationships.

If anything is to be learned from these and similar studies, it is that weight loss surgery benefits go far beyond losing weight and keeping it off. The long term benefits prove to be invaluable to anyone struggling with not just obesity, but obesity-related conditions. Patients, who are in the obesity or morbid obesity range, have a higher risk for things like diabetes, heart disease and stroke, which put their lives at risk. Mortality is improved through weight loss surgery, whereas reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease is a big part of that. The studies are showing a direct relation between long-term weight loss and long-term success at battling cardiovascular disease.