Patients undergoing bariatric surgery have a reduced risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiovascular events and mortality compared to non-surgical controls, suggests recent UK meta-analysis.
Researchers looked at 14 studies – a combination of randomised controlled trials and observational studies – to evaluate the clinical outcomes associated with bariatric surgery (n = 29, 208), compared to non-surgical controls (n = 166, 200). Analysis of all 14 studies found a 52% reduction in mortality from cardiovascular events amongst patients who had bariatric surgery, compared to non-surgical controls. Four studies were included in the analysis of risk of MI, revealing a significant 46% reduction in risk associated with bariatric surgery, compared to non-surgical controls.
The researchers note that their data analysis – the first to demonstrate that bariatric surgery is associated with a reduced risk of MI – suggests that ‘bariatric surgery may be beneficial, particularly in morbidly obese patients at risk of cardiovascular events’ but cautioned that ‘whether or not these reductions in clinical events are also observed in prospective randomised studies should be evaluated’.
