Latest news with #bariatricSurgery
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Groundbreaking study uncovers previously unknown benefits of losing weight
Scientists have uncovered previously unknown benefits of shedding excess weight, including that it helps to clear out damaged and ageing cells within the body. A groundbreaking study, published in the journal Nature, conducted the first highly detailed analysis of changes that weight loss causes in human fat tissue, examining hundreds of thousands of cells. Beyond the cellular clearance, researchers also identified an increased metabolism of harmful fats. These findings could pave the way for future therapies targeting conditions such as type 2 diabetes. The research compared fat tissue samples from individuals of a healthy weight with those suffering from severe obesity (with a BMI over 35) who were undergoing bariatric weight loss surgery. The weight loss cohort provided samples during surgery and again more than five months later, by which point they had lost an average of 25kg. Researchers from the Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratory of Medical Sciences in London, and from Imperial College London, analysed gene expression in more than 170,000 cells that made up the fat tissue samples, from 70 people. They discovered that weight loss triggers the breakdown and recycling of fats called lipids. This recycling process could be responsible for burning energy and reversing the harmful build-up of lipids in other organs like the liver and pancreas, they said. Further research is now needed to work out if lipid recycling is linked to the positive effects of weight loss on health, such as remission of type 2 diabetes. Scientists also found that the weight loss cleared out senescent cells, which are ageing and damaged cells that accumulate in all tissues. These cells no longer function properly and release signals that lead to tissue inflammation and scarring. 'We've known for a long time that weight loss is one of the best ways to treat the complications of obesity, such as diabetes, but we haven't fully understood why,' Dr William Scott, who led the study, said. 'This study provides a detailed map of what may actually be driving some of these health benefits at a tissue and cellular level. 'Fat tissues have many under-appreciated health impacts, including on blood sugar levels, body temperature, hormones that control appetite, and even reproductive health. 'We hope that new information from studies like ours will start to pave the way for developing better treatments for diabetes and other health problems caused by excess body fat.' Researchers found that weight loss did not, however, improve the effects of obesity on some aspects of the immune system. Inflammatory immune cells, for example, did not fully recover even after weight loss. Experts said this type of inflammatory cell memory could be harmful in the long term if people regain weight. The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, Diabetes UK and Wellcome. Dr Faye Riley, research communications lead at Diabetes UK, said: 'For some people, losing weight can put their type 2 diabetes into remission. 'But weight loss is challenging, and current approaches don't work for everyone. 'This research offers a rare window into the changes that occur in fat tissue during weight loss that may be key to improving health and putting type 2 diabetes into remission. 'By deepening our understanding of these processes, the study could open the door to innovative therapies that mimic the effects of weight loss, potentially helping people with type 2 diabetes to manage their condition or go into remission.'
Medscape
17-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Bariatric Surgery Beats GLP-1 RAs for Sustained Weight Loss
Patients who underwent bariatric surgery experienced an approximately five times greater weight loss over 3 years than those who used weekly injections of GLP-1 receptor agonists (RAs) such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. METHODOLOGY: The use of GLP-1 RAs has surged over the years, but semaglutide and tirzepatide have rarely been directly compared with bariatric surgery, the gold standard for obesity and diabetes treatment. Researchers conducted a retrospective study using electronic health records to compare the weight-loss effects of injectable GLP-1 RAs (semaglutide or tirzepatide) with those of bariatric surgery on adults with BMI ≥ 35. They analyzed data of 38,545 patients who received GLP-1 RAs and 12,540 patients who underwent bariatric surgery via minimally invasive sleeve gastrectomy or Roux en-Y gastric bypass between 2018 and 2024. Percent total weight loss was compared over a 3-year follow-up period. TAKEAWAY: Patients who received GLP-1 RAs had significantly higher rates of diabetes, hyperlipemia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than those who underwent surgery. After 3 years, patients who underwent bariatric surgery experienced a 23.3% total weight loss (95% CI, -23.5 to -23.1), whereas those who used GLP-1 RAs had a 4% total weight loss (95% CI, -4.1 to -3.8). Patients who used GLP-1 RAs continuously for 1 year lost 5.9% of their total weight, but weight loss was still significantly greater in those who underwent bariatric surgery (22.2%). IN PRACTICE: 'Clinical trials show weight loss between 15% to 21% for GLP-1s, but this study suggests that weight loss in the real world is considerably lower even for patients who have active prescriptions for an entire year. We know as many as 70% of patients may discontinue treatment within 1 year. GLP-1 patients may need to adjust their expectations, adhere more closely to treatment, or opt for metabolic and bariatric surgery to achieve desired results,' said the lead author in a news release. SOURCE: This study was led by Avery Brown, MD, a surgical resident at NYU Langone Health in New York City. It was presented on June 17, 2025, at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery 2025 Annual Scientific Meeting at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. LIMITATIONS: The authors did not report any specific limitations. DISCLOSURES: This study received support from a NYU Clinical and Translational Science Awards grant from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and another grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
Medscape
09-06-2025
- Health
- Medscape
New Strategy to Manage Childhood Obesity
Obesity is increasingly considered unpreventable, making early and aggressive treatment a priority to minimize comorbidities. Although 30% of adult obesity begins in childhood, the most effective treatments for childhood obesity — medication and surgery — are often delayed in favor of diet and exercise, which are largely ineffective. In this ReCAP, Dr Janey Pratt, director of the Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Program at Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford, California, points to a recent Cochrane database systematic review which showed school-based diet and exercise interventions did not prevent or reduce childhood obesity. She goes on to explain the most recent American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Practice Guidelines which, for the first time, recommend that treatment, rather than watchful waiting, is indicated for childhood obesity. Dr Pratt explains that FDA-approved obesity medications are an option for children as young as age 12, but surgery often has better long-term results. She outlines the medications available to treat childhood obesity, and then the 10-year outcomes of the Teen-LABS study, which show that half of adolescents who underwent bariatric surgery for obesity maintained significant weight loss. She concludes that a strategy of surgery first, followed by medication if needed, can optimize childhood obesity management and avoid lifelong medication for some patients.
Medscape
29-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
Bariatric Surgery Linked With Psoriasis Improvement
Most patients with psoriasis experienced clinical improvement or remission after metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) in a systematic review. METHODOLOGY: Researchers conducted a systematic review of 14 studies that included 169 patients (mean age, 46.8 years; 74% women) with psoriasis who underwent MBS. Participants underwent various surgical procedures; gastric bypass was the most common (75.1%), followed by sleeve gastrectomy (17.8%), gastric banding (5.3%), and jejunoileal bypass (0.6%). Psoriasis treatments prior to surgery included topical treatments (46.2%), non-biologic systemic treatments (35.5%), and biologics (16.6%). At baseline, psoriasis severity was predominantly moderate (76.3%); 8.2% were severe and 15.6% were mild cases, based on psoriasis area and severity index and percent body surface area scores. TAKEAWAY: Average body mass index (BMI) decreased from 43.7 at baseline to 32.9after surgery, with BMI reduction ranging from 8 to 25 during follow-up periods of 4 months to 9 years. Psoriasis was either mild or had completely resolved in 97.2% of patients after bariatric surgery, whereas 2.4% experienced worsening of psoriasis. A total of 78.1% of patients continued psoriasis treatment post-surgery, but medications were downgraded to a lower category (such as systemic to topical treatments, or no treatment) in many patients. IN PRACTICE: 'MBS may improve psoriasis outcomes following surgery,' the study authors wrote. 'While initial findings are promising, further controlled trials are necessary to validate the long-term effects of MBS on psoriasis and explore its potential role as an adjunctive therapy.' SOURCE: The study was led by Miranda K. Branyiczky, BSc, Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and was published online on May 24 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology . LIMITATIONS: Limitations were reporting bias, variability in outcome measures, and the inclusion of case reports or series. DISCLOSURES: This study did not receive any funding. One author reported receiving grants, research support, speaker fees, and honoraria from multiple pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Alumis, Amgen, Arcutis Biotherapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Novartis, and Pfizer.
