According to a story released through Reuters on Wednesday, there is new research to suggest that weight loss surgery might be bad for the bones of patients.
Specifically, the research shows that patients of weight loss surgery actually lose bone density after their procedure. The more weight the person loses, the more bone density is lost.
The research was conducted by members of Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. It has long been known that weight loss surgery reduces the patient’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. The new evidence goes even further to suggest that weight loss surgery could reduce bone and mineral metabolism. This problem leads to the weakening of bones over time.
The study followed 23 patients (both men and women) who had the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass procedure. After their weight loss surgery procedures, the patients took in 2.6 times more vitamin D than before the surgery. Despite the increased, the level of vitamin D in their blood remained low. The level of calcium in their blood actually dropped. The physical symptoms of this reduced calcium absorption began to show about three months later, symptoms that included a decrease in bone density.
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SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, published online July 22, 2008