Slim People have Higher Risk of Death after Surgery

Slim People have Higher Risk of Death after Surgery

http://www.livescience.com/17134-surgery-risk-death-obesity.html

Researchers at the University of Virginia’s School of Medicine found slender people

are more likely to die after surgery than those that are overweight. Body mass index

(BMI) is an indicator of body fatness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention a BMI less than 18.5 is considered underweight, between 18.5–24.9 is normal weight, between 25-29.9 is overweight and over 30 is obese. In the study, people with

a BMI of 23 or less were 40 percent more likely to die within a month of a surgical procedure, compared with people whose BMI was between 26.3 and 29.7.

The researchers divided 189,500 patients from 183 centers who underwent surgery between 2005 and 2006 into 5 groups based on their BMI. They calculated the risk of death of the groups as compared to the middle group (BMI between 26.3 and 29.7). About 3,200 patients died within 30 days of surgery: 2.8% with BMI of 23.1 or less vs. 1.4% in the middle group. There was no increase in risk between patients who were overweight, obese or very obese.

The researchers suggest that low BMI should be recognized as an important risk factor and thinness should be taken into account in planning a patient’s care after surgery. Perhaps these patients are more frail or may have recently experienced weight loss. The reason for the increased risk was not determined, but further research is planned. The study was published online in the journal Archives of Surgery November 21, 2011.

It’s interesting that the middle group is actually considered overweight according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.