DALLAS, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- A U.S. review of weight-loss surgeries performed on older adults suggests bariatric procedures should be limited to people under age 65.
Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas say older patients experienced less weight loss and far more complications than younger patients, indicating that the risks often outweigh the benefits of these types of surgeries in older patients.
The study, published in the Archives of Surgery, reviewed more than 25,000 bariatric procedures from a national database.
"Adverse outcomes increased with age, particularly after age 60," says lead author Dr. Edward Livingston. "Beyond 65 years of age, the adverse event rate exceeded 20 percent and mortality was 3.23 percent."
In addition to age, the study finds that men and those with electrolyte disorders and congestive heart failure were at greater risk of death from bariatric surgery or related complications, according to Livingston.
Common complications included gastrointestinal, respiratory and cardiac problems. Gastrointestinal problems were most common, occurring in about 30 percent of older patients who had complications.
