Bariatric Surgery May Increase Risk of Unhealthy Alcohol Use

Adults with no history of unhealthy alcohol use who undergo bariatric surgery to promote weight loss may be more likely to develop unhealthy alcohol use compared with adults who do not receive surgery, according to astudy appearing today inJAMA Network Open.“The clinical implications of these results suggest that patients undergoing bariatric surgical procedures should be cautioned that drinking alcohol can escalate after bariatric surgery, even in patients with no previous evidence of drinking alcohol above recommended limits,” wrote Matthew Macie jewski, Ph.D., of the Durham VA Medical Center and colleagues.“[N]ot drinking alcohol is the safest option after a bariatric surgical procedure, given that blood alcohol concentration (and therefore the brain’s alcohol exposure) peaks at higher levels after a bariatric operation,” they continued. “Furthermore, all patients who undergo bariatric surgica l procedures should be monitored long-term for unhealthy alcohol use.”Previous controlled studies examining the relationship between bariatric surgery and drinking behaviors have mainly focused on women who have had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), not the laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) —the more popular bariatric surgery in the United States.The researchers analyzed electronic health record data from 2,608 veterans (75% male) who underwent a bariatric surgical procedure between October 1, 2008, and September 30, 2016. (Since 2004, the U.S. Department of Vetera...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: alcohol use AUDIT-C bariatric surgery JAMA Network Open laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy LSG Roux-en-Y gastric bypass RYGB VA veterans Source Type: research