Research
Energy balance
Bariatric surgery in older adults (≥65 years) is associated with significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality and complications compared to younger adults, and should be reserved for refractory cases.
Surgery is the most effective weight loss method but carries higher risks for those over 65. It should only be considered if you have severe obesity and have failed all other treatments, after a thorough risk-benefit discussion with specialists.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
patients aged ≥ 65 years (n = 44,138) had higher unadjusted rates of in-hospital mortality (0.3% in patients aged ≥ 65 years vs 0.04% in patients aged < 65 years, p < 0.001), and cardiac (0.4 vs 0.2%, p < 0.001), respiratory (1.2 vs 0.5%, p < 0.001), renal (2.6 vs 1.0%, p < 0.001), and thromboembolic (0.2 vs 0.1%, p < 0.001) complications
Why this rating
Based on a large retrospective study (n=351,292).
Source
Take a personalised approach to weight management for older adults with obesity
Michael B. Brown · Drugs & Therapy Perspectives · 2026
DOI 10.1007/s40267-025-01213-w
narrative_review
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- For older adults (≥65 years) with obesity, weight reduction is recommended only after careful consideration of risks/benefits and patient priorities, whereas overweight older adults should maintain stable body weight to avoid sarcopenia and functional decline.Good
- Pharmacological weight loss agents (GLP-1 agonists, etc.) should be used as adjuncts to lifestyle changes in older adults only after careful case-by-case assessment of sarcopenia risk and limited clinical data.Moderate
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →