Impact Of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy On Obesity-Related Comorbidities In Patients Over 65 Years

Impact Of Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy On Obesity-Related Comorbidities In Patients Over 65 Years: A Prospective Comparative Study

This study compares laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (a type of weight-loss surgery) with non-surgical care in adults aged 65 or older who have severe obesity and related health problems like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, knee joint issues from osteoarthritis, or sleep apnea. Over 12 months, 60 patients chose either surgery or diet counseling with medications for their conditions (30 in each group). The main goals are to measure improvements in these health issues, weight loss, and safety.

Why This Study Matters Severe obesity in older adults raises risks for serious health conditions that diet and medications often fail to fix long-term. Surgery like sleeve gastrectomy removes part of the stomach to limit food intake and improve hormones that control hunger and blood sugar, but its benefits need direct proof against usual care in seniors.

What Happens in the Study Patients picked their treatment: surgery group got the procedure plus routine care; non-surgery group got nutrition advice and standard drugs. Doctors tracked weight, blood tests, blood pressure, sleep studies, knee X-rays, drug needs, and side effects at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age ≥65 years
• Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥40 kg/m²
• Presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity: type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), hypertension (HTN), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or osteoarthritis (OA)
• Ability to provide informed consent and complete 12-month follow-up protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe cardiopulmonary disease preventing surgery or follow-up
• Active malignancy
• Uncontrolled psychiatric illness
• Inability to comply with follow-up visits
• Previous abdominal surgery