MELBOURNE, Australia, May 1 /PRNewswire/ -. LAP-BAND System surgery is significantly more effective in reducing weight and improving health and quality of life than non-surgical weight-loss programs, according to a study published in the May 2 issue of Annals of Internal Medicine.
“This was one of the first rigorously controlled studies to measure the impact of weight-loss surgery against traditional weight-loss methods,” said Professor Paul O’Brien, lead investigator and Director of the Centre for Obesity Research and Education at Monash University, where the study was conducted. “It confirms the results of prior studies that weight-loss surgery is superior over traditional approaches like diet and exercise alone.”
The study showed that LAP-BAND patients lost greater amounts of weight and saw a reduction in the metabolic syndrome, a condition in obese people where insulin levels are too high and which puts people at greater risk of problems such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and abnormal blood lipid levels, than non-surgical patients-at no additional adverse risk.
This randomized, controlled study directly compared LAP-BAND System surgery (the only FDA approved adjustable gastric banding procedure) to traditional, non-surgical weight-loss programs in mild to moderately obese patients. “Currently, the generally accepted practice is to perform weight-loss surgery only on the severely and morbidly obese,” said Professor O’Brien. “But these positive results suggest that physicians should re-examine the guidelines for weight-loss surgery to determine if they should be expanded to include mild to moderately obese patients.”
The study was designed to assess whether surgical therapy for moderate obesity achieves better weight loss, health and quality of life than non-surgical therapies. At two-years, surgical patients had lost an average of 20.5 kg (45.1 lbs) or 21.6 percent of their average initial body weight. This weight loss was equal to 87.2 percent of the surgical group’s excess body weight at the beginning of the study. The non-surgical group had lost an average of 5.3 kg (11.66 lbs) at two years, or 5.5 percent of their average initial body weight. This weight loss was equal to 21.6 percent of their excess weight at the beginning of the study.
In addition to losing weight, the metabolic syndrome was significantly more likely to be resolved after two years in the surgical group than the non-surgical group. At the start of the study, metabolic syndrome was present in 38 percent of members of the surgical and non-surgical groups. At the end of the study, only 3 percent of laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding patients and 24 percent of non-surgical patients presented with metabolic syndrome.
While both groups reported improvements in quality of life, participants who received the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band reported greater improvements.
“With the LAP-BAND System, there is now a safer, less invasive and more acceptable surgical option for weight loss, and we have demonstrated that it is a powerful tool in reducing the dangerous and costly effects of the metabolic syndrome,” said Professor O’Brien.
Obesity is an important global health problem with a prevalence of more than 20 percent among the adult population in Western countries and more than 30 percent in the United States. It is estimated that there are more than 300 million obese people worldwide.(1,2) The increasing prevalence of obesity is associated with a parallel increase of numerous obesity-related diseases.
Additional Study Results * The extent of weight loss was equal for both groups at 6 months, but then the non-surgical group regained weight that had been lost while surgical patients continued to lose and were continuing to lose through the study’s conclusion. * The average surgical patient’s body mass index (BMI) went from 33.7 at the beginning of the study to 26.4 after 2 years. The non-surgical group’s BMI was reduced from an average of 33.5 at the beginning of the study to 31.5 at the study’s conclusion. Study Methodology
Investigators at Monash University’s Centre for Obesity Research and Education randomized 80 mild to moderately obese adults (BMI of 30-35) to either a traditional, non-surgical medical weight-loss program or bariatric surgery. The non-surgical program was physician directed and consisted of behavioral modifications, a very low calorie diet and pharmacotherapy with orlistat plus education and professional support regarding appropriate eating and exercise behavior. The surgical group received the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (LAP-BAND System, Inamed Health) procedure performed by standardized method by two experienced surgeons within one month of randomization. During the surgery, the surgeons inserted an inflatable band around the upper part of the patients’ stomachs to create a small pouch limiting the amount of food consumption, which creates a feeling of fullness, resulting in weight loss.
ABOUT MONASH UNIVERSITY
Monash University is one of Australia’s largest and most internationalized universities. It is highly regarded for its innovative approach to teaching and research. The university has more than 52,000 students from over 100 countries. It has six campuses in Australia as well as campuses in South Africa and Malaysia. It also has centers in London and in Prato in Italy.
Monash University
CONTACT: Diane Squires, +61-3-9905-9315; or Heather Hinckley of ManningSelvage & Lee, +1-212-468-3725, both for Monash University
