Lower mortality for patients aged 35 through 44, 45 through 54, 55 through 74 years
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Gastric bypass surgery is associated with improved long-term survival for patients at all ages above 35 years, according to a study published online Feb. 10 in JAMA Surgery.
Lance E. Davidson, Ph.D., from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and colleagues categorized patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery according to age as younger than 35 years, 35 through 44 years, 45 through 54 years, and 55 through 74 years. Data were included for 7,925 patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery and 7,925 matched, severely obese individuals who did not undergo surgery.
The researchers found that, compared with controls who did not undergo surgery, adjusted all-cause mortality was lower for patients aged 35 through 44, 45 through 54, and 55 through 74 years (hazard ratios, 0.54 [95 percent confidence interval (CI), 0.38 to 0.77], 0.43 [95 percent CI, 0.30 to 0.62], and 0.50 [95 percent CI, 0.31 to 0.79], respectively; all P < 0.003) who underwent gastric bypass. Patients younger than 35 years did not have lower mortality (hazard ratio, 1.22; 95 percent CI, 0.82 to 1.81; P = 0.34). The lack of benefit for patients aged younger than 35 years was mainly attributable to a significantly higher number of externally caused deaths, especially among women.
“Gastric bypass surgery is protective against mortality even for older patients and also reduces the age-related increase in mortality observed in severely obese individuals not undergoing surgery,” the authors write.
One author disclosed financial ties to the law firm Gjording Fouser.
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