New Findings on Obesity and Weight Loss Surgery presented at American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS)
Newswise — Leading researchers, scientists, medical and surgical professionals from all over the world gather here at the 27th annual scientific meeting of the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) this week to present new findings on obesity, morbid obesity, bariatric and metabolic surgery.
“Studies this year provide important new data on some lesser known benefits of bariatric and metabolic surgery, offer new insights into how to reduce complication rates and improve patient outcomes even further, and further document the challenges people with morbid obesity face the longer treatment is delayed or denied,” said John Baker, MD, President, ASMBS, and Medical Director, Baptist Medical Center’s Baptist Health Weight Loss Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Surgery’s Impact on Female Sexual Dysfunction and High Cholesterol
Researchers from Miriam Hospital and Brown University Medical School found that nearly 70 percent of women with sexual dysfunction no longer have the condition within six months of bariatric surgery. Another study by University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics researchers showed that within six months of gastric bypass, nearly all patients with high cholesterol had normal cholesterol levels and those who were on statins or other lipid lowering drugs before surgery no longer needed them, even six years after surgery.
Clinical Consequences of Insurance Mandated Diet Programs and Denials of Surgery
A new study shows patients denied bariatric surgery by their insurer developed a host of new obesity-related diseases and conditions including Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea, within three years. Another study on insurers, showed that patients on insurance-mandated diet programs for six months before bariatric surgery did no better than patients with no such insurance requirement. However, patients on these programs had to wait, on average, about four months longer for surgery.
Patient Outcomes Affected by Gender, Race, and Family
A study of 38,000 patients finds that Hispanic, Caucasian and female patients are among the patient groups that have the fewest complications after bariatric surgery. The study is one of the largest to identify differences in surgical outcomes based on demographic factors. Another study found family members who undergo surgery together lose significantly more weight and have a higher resolution of obesity-related conditions than patients who don’t share the experience with a loved one. The study shows brothers and sisters who shared the surgical experience had the best outcomes.
Morbid obesity is a disease that affects more than 15 million people in the U.S. Last year, an estimated 220,000 Americans had metabolic or bariatric surgery, which is less than 1 percent of the medically eligible population. In 2008, annual obesity-related health spending reached $147 billion, double what it was a decade ago, and spending is projected to rise to $344 billion each year by 2018.
People with morbid obesity are generally 100 or more pounds overweight, have a BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 or more with an obesity-related disease, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea. The most common methods of bariatric surgery are laparoscopic gastric bypass and laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding.
About the ASMBS
The ASMBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in the world. It is a non-profit organization that works to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery and is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about bariatric surgery as an option for the treatment of morbid obesity, as well as the associated risks and benefits. It encourages its members to investigate and discover new advances in bariatric surgery, while maintaining a steady exchange of experiences and ideas that may lead to improved surgical outcomes for morbidly obese patients. For more information about the ASMBS, visit www.asmbs.org.
Showing posts with label losing weight. Show all posts
Showing posts with label losing weight. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Low Carb Diet = Lower Blood Pressure
By Madeline Ellis
Fad diets come and go, but one weight-loss trend that has lasted for nearly five decades is the low-carbohydrate diet. Many types of low-carb diets exist, each with varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates, although the theory behind them is essentially the same: by restricting daily carbohydrate intake, the body is forced to break down fat to use as energy, a state known as ketosis. But researchers are discovering that the health benefits of a low-carb diet may extend beyond weight loss. For example, a 2007 study found that a diet low in carbohydrates improved HDL (good) cholesterol and triglyceride levels better than a low-fat diet. And recently, in one of the first studies to compare the benefits of diet alone to taking weight loss drugs, researchers found that a low-carb diet was more effective in lowering hypertension than the drug orlistat—without the side effects.
The study included 146 adults with an average body mass index (BMI) of 39 (30 and above is considered obese) and an average age of 52 who were randomly assigned to a low-carbohydrate diet or orlistat (Xenical) with a low-fat diet. Participants on the low-carb diet were restricted to a carbohydrate intake of less than 20 grams per day, while the group taking orlistat received three 120 milligram doses daily and got less than 30 percent of their calories from fat.
Over 48 weeks, both groups experienced similar weight loss; 9.5 percent in the low-carb group compared to 8.5 percent in the orlistat group. However, nearly half (47 percent) of those in the low-carb group were able to reduce or eliminate their blood pressure medication during the study, compared with about one-fifth (21 percent) of those in the orlistat group. Overall, systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped an average of 5.9 points among the low-carb group, compared to 1.5 points in the orlistat group. Similar reductions were seen for diastolic blood pressure.
“I expected the weight loss to be considerable with both therapies but we were surprised to see blood pressure improve so much more with the low-carbohydrate diet than with orlistat,” lead researcher Dr. William S. Yancy, Jr., an associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center and a staff physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, said in a news release.
Yancy says that while weight loss itself typically produces a reduction in blood pressure, the study results suggest that a low-carb diet may have an additional blood-pressure lowering effect, making it a better option than weight loss medication for people who have high blood pressure and a weight problem. “It’s important to know you can try a diet instead of medication and get the same weight loss results with fewer costs and potentially fewer side effects.” Side effects of medication can include nausea and diarrhea.
“This small study reinforces the message that weight loss in obese individuals will have a significant impact on the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease,” the British Heart Foundation said. “Identifying that you need to lose weight, finding a dietary approach that suits you individually combined with a regular physical activity program will help to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.”
Yancy says there are plenty of weight loss options out there, but notes the trick is to choose one you think you “could stick to better,” and work with your doctor to help “target the right intervention for you.” HealthNews has already done the research for you, reviewing some of the most popular diets, including the low-carb Atkins and Zone. Choosing one, of course, is entirely up to you!
The study was published in the January 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
http://www.healthnews.com/nutrition-diet/low-carb-diet-lower-blood-pressure-4066.html
Fad diets come and go, but one weight-loss trend that has lasted for nearly five decades is the low-carbohydrate diet. Many types of low-carb diets exist, each with varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates, although the theory behind them is essentially the same: by restricting daily carbohydrate intake, the body is forced to break down fat to use as energy, a state known as ketosis. But researchers are discovering that the health benefits of a low-carb diet may extend beyond weight loss. For example, a 2007 study found that a diet low in carbohydrates improved HDL (good) cholesterol and triglyceride levels better than a low-fat diet. And recently, in one of the first studies to compare the benefits of diet alone to taking weight loss drugs, researchers found that a low-carb diet was more effective in lowering hypertension than the drug orlistat—without the side effects.
The study included 146 adults with an average body mass index (BMI) of 39 (30 and above is considered obese) and an average age of 52 who were randomly assigned to a low-carbohydrate diet or orlistat (Xenical) with a low-fat diet. Participants on the low-carb diet were restricted to a carbohydrate intake of less than 20 grams per day, while the group taking orlistat received three 120 milligram doses daily and got less than 30 percent of their calories from fat.
Over 48 weeks, both groups experienced similar weight loss; 9.5 percent in the low-carb group compared to 8.5 percent in the orlistat group. However, nearly half (47 percent) of those in the low-carb group were able to reduce or eliminate their blood pressure medication during the study, compared with about one-fifth (21 percent) of those in the orlistat group. Overall, systolic blood pressure (the top number) dropped an average of 5.9 points among the low-carb group, compared to 1.5 points in the orlistat group. Similar reductions were seen for diastolic blood pressure.
“I expected the weight loss to be considerable with both therapies but we were surprised to see blood pressure improve so much more with the low-carbohydrate diet than with orlistat,” lead researcher Dr. William S. Yancy, Jr., an associate professor of medicine at Duke University Medical Center and a staff physician at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, said in a news release.
Yancy says that while weight loss itself typically produces a reduction in blood pressure, the study results suggest that a low-carb diet may have an additional blood-pressure lowering effect, making it a better option than weight loss medication for people who have high blood pressure and a weight problem. “It’s important to know you can try a diet instead of medication and get the same weight loss results with fewer costs and potentially fewer side effects.” Side effects of medication can include nausea and diarrhea.
“This small study reinforces the message that weight loss in obese individuals will have a significant impact on the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease,” the British Heart Foundation said. “Identifying that you need to lose weight, finding a dietary approach that suits you individually combined with a regular physical activity program will help to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.”
Yancy says there are plenty of weight loss options out there, but notes the trick is to choose one you think you “could stick to better,” and work with your doctor to help “target the right intervention for you.” HealthNews has already done the research for you, reviewing some of the most popular diets, including the low-carb Atkins and Zone. Choosing one, of course, is entirely up to you!
The study was published in the January 25 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
http://www.healthnews.com/nutrition-diet/low-carb-diet-lower-blood-pressure-4066.html
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Losing weight
This can be done by reducing the daily intake by 500 calories per day (it will provide a deficit of 3500 calories per week).
To lose 2 pounds per week, a deficit of 1000 calories per day is required.
Chronic illness can also cause you to lose weight.
As a matter of fact, I know of a guy who, understanding that he was prone to a certain feverish relapse every other month, he would eat himself to substantial fat prior to that. Months later, when he fell ill, he would lose all that weight in a couple of days. Cute idea, but don’t try it at home.
Some people rely on illness to help them lose weight. While this is fair enough the first time around, you shouldn’t make a habit of it.
Getting used to such could result in some kind of ‘cry-wolf’ syndrome in which you might not recover from the illness soon enough. In the end, you lose.
To lose 2 pounds per week, a deficit of 1000 calories per day is required.
Chronic illness can also cause you to lose weight.
As a matter of fact, I know of a guy who, understanding that he was prone to a certain feverish relapse every other month, he would eat himself to substantial fat prior to that. Months later, when he fell ill, he would lose all that weight in a couple of days. Cute idea, but don’t try it at home.
Some people rely on illness to help them lose weight. While this is fair enough the first time around, you shouldn’t make a habit of it.
Getting used to such could result in some kind of ‘cry-wolf’ syndrome in which you might not recover from the illness soon enough. In the end, you lose.
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