A weight loss surgery patient (Photo : Reuters/Rick Wilking)
According to a recent research, weight-loss surgery might decrease the number of asthma attacks in obese people who suffer from the respiratory condition, Capital OTC reported.
The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Scientists from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston examined health database for 2,300 obese people from Florida, Nebraska and California. All these people suffered from asthma and underwent weight reduction surgery until 2009. Dr. Kohei Hasegawa, co-author of the study, said that the research team did not take into account information on the weight participants had before and after the surgery. Therefore, researchers were not able to find out how much weight needs to be lost to make a difference in symptoms of asthma.
The research team compared medical records of the study participants and discovered a connection between having weight-loss surgery and lesser asthma attacks. About 22 percent of the participants visited the hospital at least once due to an asthma flare-up. After the patients underwent weight loss surgery, the number dropped significantly. Only 11 percent of people had asthma related issues.
Asthma, which is characterized by inflamed airways, can cause difficulty breathing, wheezing and coughing. According to the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, about 25 million people in the United States suffer from asthma, WebMD reported.
Another study found that weight loss surgery, if performed before hip replacement or knee replacement, improves the latter results. The research team also discovered that women suffer less complications after joint replacement surgery compared to men. Furthermore, weight loss surgery helps reduce risk for heart attack.
