Newswise — Both men and women see lasting improvements in their sex lives after bariatric surgery, according to a new study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and presented here at ObesityWeek 2015, the largest international event focused on the basic science, clinical application and prevention and treatment of obesity. The weeklong obesity conference is hosted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and The Obesity Society (TOS).
More than 2,000 patients enrolled in the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (LABS) 2 study completed a questionnaire assessing sexual desire, activity and satisfaction and the impact of their physical health on sexual function one month before and in each of five years after bariatric surgery. Nearly 80 percent of study subjects were women.
The first year after surgery, patients reported an increased frequency of sexual desire and activity, and greater satisfaction with sexual functioning, along with decreased limitations in sexual activity related to physical health. By year five, all sexual functioning measures remained significantly improved after surgery (51.8% vs. 31.5% of women and 58.3% vs. 27.5% of men, were moderately-to-very satisfied with sexual functioning) and 39 percent of women and 55 percent of men were sexually active more frequently.
"Limited research has suggested that bariatric surgery is associated with short-term improvements in sexual function. This study shows these improvements are long-lasting,” said Kristine J. Steffen, PharmD, PhD, Associate Professor/Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy at North Dakota State University in Fargo.
Among women, Hispanic/Latina ethnicity, fewer depressive symptoms before surgery, and greater decreases in depressive symptoms and greater weight loss after surgery, were related to improvement in sexual satisfaction. For men, younger age, non-white race, fewer depressive symptoms before surgery and a bigger decline in depressive symptoms, discontinuation of anti-depressant medication, no history of cardiovascular disease, and hypertensive medication use post-surgery were related to improvement in sexual satisfaction.
"People generally don’t think of sexual dysfunction as a condition related to obesity, but this study suggests that improvements in sex life are an additional benefit that goes beyond weight loss and improvement of other obesity-related conditions and diseases including type 2 diabetes,” said John M. Morton, MD, MPH, president of the ASMBS and Chief, Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study.
In addition to Dr. Steffen, study authors of the abstract entitled, “Changes in Sexual Life Following Bariatric Surgery,” include Wendy King, PhD, Pittsburgh, PA; Gretchen White MPH, Pittsburgh, PA; Leslee Subak, MD, San Francisco, CA; James Mitchell, MD, Fargo, ND; Anita Courcoulas, MD, David Flum, MD, Gladys Strain PhD, RD, FTOS, New York, NY; David Sarwer PhD, Philadelphia, PA; Ronette Kolotkin PhD, Durham, NC; Walter Pories, MD, Greenville, NC; and Alison Huang, MD, San Francisco, CA.
About Obesity and Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery
According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 78 million adults were obese in 2011–2012.i The ASMBS estimates about 24 million people have severe or morbid obesity. Individuals with a BMI greater than 30 have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death compared to healthy weight individuals as well as an increased risk of developing more than 40 obesity-related diseases and conditions including type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.ii,iii
Metabolic/bariatric surgery has been shown to be the most effective and long lasting treatment for morbid obesity and many related conditions and results in significant weight loss. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) reported significant improvements in the safety of metabolic/bariatric surgery due in large part to improved laparoscopic techniques.iv The risk of death is about 0.1 percentv and the overall likelihood of major complications is about 4 percent.vi
About the ASMBS
The ASMBS is the largest organization for bariatric surgeons in the nation. It is a non-profit organization that works to advance the art and science of bariatric surgery and is committed to educating medical professionals and the lay public about bariatric surgery as an option for the treatment of morbid obesity, as well as the associated risks and benefits. It encourages its members to investigate and discover new advances in obesity, while maintaining a steady exchange of experiences and ideas that may lead to improved outcomes for morbidly obese patients. For more information, visit www.asmbs.org.
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*CHANGES IN SEXUAL LIFE FOLLOWING BARIATRIC SURGERY – Kristine Steffen, PharmD, PhD;
Wendy King, PhD; Gretchen White, MPH; Leslee Subak, MD; James Mitchell, MD; Anita Courcoulas, MD; David Flum, MD; Gladys Strain, PhD, RD, FTOS; David Sarwer, PhD; Ronette Kolotkin, PhD; Walter Pories, MD; Alison Huang, MD; Presented November 4, 2015
iPrevalence of Obesity Among Adults: United States, 2011–2012. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (October 2013). Access October 2013 from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db131.htm
iiOffice of the Surgeon General – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Overweight and obesity: health consequences. Accessed March 2012 from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/calltoaction/fact_consequences.html
iiiKaplan, L. M. (2003). Body weight regulation and obesity. Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery. 7(4) pp. 443-51. Doi:10.1016/S1091-255X(03)00047-7.
ivPoirier, P., Cornier, M. A., Mazzone, T., et al. (2011). Bariatric surgery and cardiovascular risk factors. Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association. 123 pp. 1-19. Accessed March 2012 from http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/123/15/1683.full.pdf
vAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Statistical Brief #23. Bariatric Surgery Utilization and Outcomes in 1998 and 2004. Jan 2007
viFlum, D. R. et al. (2009). Perioperative safety in the longitudinal assessment of bariatric surgery. New England Journal of Medicine. 361 pp.445-454. Accessed June 2012 from http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/361/5/445
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