Fresh from the New England Journal of Medicine (
http://www.nejm.org):
Volume 357:753-761 August 23, 2007 Number 8
Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Mortality in Swedish Obese Subjects
Lars Sjöström, M.D., Ph.D., Kristina Narbro, Ph.D., C. David Sjöström, M.D., Ph.D., Kristjan Karason, M.D., Ph.D., Bo Larsson, M.D., Ph.D., Hans Wedel, Ph.D., Ted Lystig, Ph.D., Marianne Sullivan, Ph.D., Claude Bouchard, Ph.D., Björn Carlsson, M.D., Ph.D., Calle Bengtsson, M.D., Ph.D., Sven Dahlgren, M.D., Ph.D., Anders Gummesson, M.D., Peter Jacobson, M.D., Ph.D., Jan Karlsson, Ph.D., Anna-Karin Lindroos, Ph.D., Hans Lönroth, M.D., Ph.D., Ingmar Näslund, M.D., Ph.D., Torsten Olbers, M.D., Ph.D., Kaj Stenlöf, M.D., Ph.D., Jarl Torgerson, M.D., Ph.D., Göran Ågren, M.D., Lena M.S. Carlsson, M.D., Ph.D., for the Swedish Obese Subjects Study
Background Obesity is associated with increased mortality. Weight loss improves cardiovascular risk factors, but no prospective interventional studies have reported whether weight loss decreases overall mortality. In fact, many observational studies suggest that weight reduction is associated with increased mortality.
Methods The prospective, controlled Swedish Obese Subjects study involved 4047 obese subjects. Of these subjects, 2010 underwent bariatric surgery (surgery group) and 2037 received conventional treatment (matched control group). We report on overall mortality during an average of 10.9 years of follow-up. At the time of the analysis (November 1, 2005), vital status was known for all but three subjects (follow-up rate, 99.9%).
Results The average weight change in control subjects was less than ±2% during the period of up to 15 years during which weights were recorded. Maximum weight losses in the surgical subgroups were observed after 1 to 2 years: gastric bypass, 32%; vertical-banded gastroplasty, 25%; and banding, 20%. After 10 years, the weight losses from baseline were stabilized at 25%, 16%, and 14%, respectively. There were 129 deaths in the control group and 101 deaths in the surgery group. The unadjusted overall hazard ratio was 0.76 in the surgery group (P=0.04), as compared with the control group, and the hazard ratio adjusted for sex, age, and risk factors was 0.71 (P=0.01). The most common causes of death were myocardial infarction (control group, 25 subjects; surgery group, 13 subjects) and cancer (control group, 47; surgery group, 29).
Conclusions Bariatric surgery for severe obesity is associated with long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality.
and
Long-Term Mortality after Gastric Bypass Surgery
Ted D. Adams, Ph.D., M.P.H., Richard E. Gress, M.A., Sherman C. Smith, M.D., R. Chad Halverson, M.D., Steven C. Simper, M.D., Wayne D. Rosamond, Ph.D., Michael J. LaMonte, Ph.D., M.P.H., Antoinette M. Stroup, Ph.D., and Steven C. Hunt, Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
Background Although gastric bypass surgery accounts for 80% of bariatric surgery in the United States, only limited long-term data are available on mortality among patients who have undergone this procedure as compared with severely obese persons from a general population.
Methods In this retrospective cohort study, we determined the long-term mortality (from 1984 to 2002) among 9949 patients who had undergone gastric bypass surgery and 9628 severely obese persons who applied for driver's licenses. From these subjects, 7925 surgical patients and 7925 severely obese control subjects were matched for age, sex, and body-mass index. We determined the rates of death from any cause and from specific causes with the use of the National Death Index.
Results During a mean follow-up of 7.1 years, adjusted long-term mortality from any cause in the surgery group decreased by 40%, as compared with that in the control group (37.6 vs. 57.1 deaths per 10,000 person-years, P<0.001); cause-specific mortality in the surgery group decreased by 56% for coronary artery disease (2.6 vs. 5.9 per 10,000 person-years, P=0.006), by 92% for diabetes (0.4 vs. 3.4 per 10,000 person-years, P=0.005), and by 60% for cancer (5.5 vs. 13.3 per 10,000 person-years, P<0.001). However, rates of death not caused by disease, such as accidents and suicide, were 58% higher in the surgery group than in the control group (11.1 vs. 6.4 per 10,000 person-years, P=0.04).
Conclusions Long-term total mortality after gastric bypass surgery was significantly reduced, particularly deaths from diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. However, the rate of death from causes other than disease was higher in the surgery group than in the control group.
Go for it, Christy.
O.
I totally know how you feel though... I've been putting off getting a hold of the Bariatric program and finding where to send my questionnaire (I gave the information to my husband to read over and he lost the return envelope, he had totally misplaced everything but finally found the most important stuff). Kaiser has approved me to participate in their Severe Obesity and Bariatric Surgery Program. I suppose I've put it off because I'm scared and not sure I really want to resort to surgery but at 30 and weighing 486 lb (513 at the time of referral) I'm not sure I really have a choice. The thing is even if I don't choose to have the surgery the rest of the program is beneficial to weight lose and management so I need to kick myself into gear. Feel free to poke me
till you hear I've actual sent off my questionnaire...
)
'gles everyone, and a special 
God bless them, there's one online right now demanding pix of me. I sent him Taz's OSA Icon. 
