Effects of Bariatric Surgery on Mortality in Swedish Obese Subjects

The prospective, controlled Swedish Obese Subjects study enrolled 4047 subjects who either underwent bariatric surgery or received conventional treatment. The results of follow-up for up to 15 years suggest that bariatric surgery for severe obesity is associated with long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality. The results suggest that bariatric surgery for severe obesity is associated with long-term weight loss and decreased overall mortality. In the United States from 1980 through 2004, the prevalence of obesity — defined as a body-mass index (BMI) (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) of 30 or more — doubled, rising to include more than 30% of the population. 1 , 2 The majority of large and long-term epidemiologic studies have indicated that obesity is associated with increased mortality. 3 – 9 The life expectancy of severely obese persons is reduced by an estimated 5 to 20 years. 10 Weight loss is known to be associated with improvement of intermediate risk factors for disease, 11 suggesting that weight . . .