A new study shows that extremely obese people who had weight loss surgery had less than half the risk of heart disease following surgery, FOX news report.

Overweight people who lost weight after surgery were also less likely to require treatment to unclog blocked arteries than those who did not have the weight loss surgery.

Extreme obesity is known as morbid obesity and is defined as having a body mass index (BMI, a ratio of weight in relation to height) of 40 or higher.

 

Extremely excessive weight is associated with a number of heath risks, including an increased risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and others diseases.

“No other treatment has been shown to have this much impact on preventing or reducing heart disease in patients with morbid obesity,” says researcher Nicolas V. Christou, MD, PhD, of McGill University Health Center in Montreal, in a news release.

Surgeons have been doing bariatric weight loss surgery for more than 50 years, but recently the number of people undergoing the procedure (most of whom are women) has soared five-fold in five years, according to figures from the American Society for Bariatric Surgery.

Like all major operations, weight loss surgery has risks. Surgical treatment also requires lifelong medical monitoring and major changes in diet and lifestyle. But for most people with extreme obesity, the health benefits far outweigh the risks.

If you think weight loss surgery might be right for you, ask your primary care provider to refer you to a bariatric surgeon or a center that specializes in bariatric procedures. You also must be willing and able to participate in follow-up care and diet, and understand all the potential risks and benefits. 

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