Dr. Steven Nissen and colleagues compared the impact of various types of bariatric surgery on almost 2,300 people to the usual medical care on more than 11,000 obese patients with similar symptoms treated between 1998 and 2017 at the Cleveland Clinic.
Those having bariatric surgery lost more weight and had fewer heart attacks, fewer strokes, a lower incidence of kidney and heart failure, a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation, lower blood sugar levels, and experienced a 41% lower over all morbidity during the study. Additionally, those who had surgery used fewer medications for diabetes and other conditions.
The researchers concluded that many of the deleterious effects of obesity are potentially reversible.