Weight Loss Surgery Can Reduce Need for Some Medications

Outside of helping you to lose weight, there are many perks that bariatric patients often benefit from after obesity surgery. One of these perks is that you may be able to reduce your needs for certain medications that you currently take. In a recent study that involved people who took medications for asthma and other respiratory problems, 49% fewer medications were purchased in the year after weight loss surgery. More than half of participants were able to eliminate their prescriptions altogether.

People who are obese may have difficulty breathing for a number of reasons including metabolic, mechanical and structural problems that are present at higher BMIs. Even those who are not diagnosed with asthma may have trouble breathing.

This study was small, and only measured the amounts of medication purchased. Patients’ lung function was not measured before and after surgery. However, doctors are confident that, larger studies, the results will be the same.

In many cases, when an obese person loses weight they find relief from maladies such as sleep apnea. It appears from this study that people who have weight loss surgery can experience a wider range of improvement of other respiratory problems, as well. There did not seem to be any difference in results between men and women, or between people of different races.

There are now more weight loss surgical procedures available than ever. One to examine is banded gastric plication. In this surgery, a gastric band is inserted, and the stomach is folded to reduce its size. The stomach is not surgically altered in the way that is required for gastric bypass surgery. Talk to weight loss surgeons in Ft. Lauderdale to find out more about this exciting experimental procedure.