Shedding pounds of weight through bariatric surgery can minimize your risk for cancer.
Many studies have found that obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery reduced their risks of developing certain cancers. According to findings from the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery’s (ASMBS) annual meeting, those who underwent surgery were three times less likely to die from cancer.
Another study by the Cleveland Clinic unearthed the benefits of weight loss, including a 32% lower risk of cancer and 48% less risk of cancer-related deaths. The results can be found in the American Medical Association Journal.
Ultimately, undergoing weight loss surgery helps patients live longer. In most patients, obesity-related health problems disappear or greatly improve, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea and help with joint disease.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over 42% of the American population is obese. Obesity is associated with 13 cancer types because excess weight raises the risk of these types of cancers.
In the ASMBS study mentioned above, researchers compared patients who had bariatric surgery to those who were obese but didn’t have the surgery. The study observed that weight loss surgery significantly reduced breast, gynecologic, brain, thyroid, kidney, and lung cancer.
A decade of follow-up showed that the group who underwent bariatric surgery exhibited lower incidences of new cancers and higher survival rates. The study also discovered that bariatric surgery could reduce colon cancer risk by 37%.
The Cleveland Clinic study’s analysis observed that weight loss has a dose-dependent connection to the risk of cancer. As patients lose more weight, their cancer risk also declines.
Bariatric surgery allows patients to achieve significant weight loss that can help to prevent many types of cancer. It offers long-lasting benefits, including weight loss maintenance, good health, and an active, longer life.
