Older Adults Can Benefit From Weight Loss Surgery, Study Says

A study presented at the Society for Endocrinology's annual conference found weight-loss surgery may help older adults to achieve successful weight loss and improved diabetes control, reports News-Medical . The researchers considered results of 22 persons in the United Arab Emirates who underwent bariatric surgery after the age of 65. After two years, subjects had significant loss of about 24 percent of their baseline body weight prior to surgery. "Our study suggests these procedures could be considered in older adults as an effective intervention to aid weight loss and associated complications," said Nader Lessan at the Imperial College London Diabetes Center. Also included were 11 individuals with type 2 diabetes who were on insulin, four of whom no longer needed the insulin after surgery, while the others only needed a lower dosage. No adverse effects, aside from vitamin D deficiency, were seen.