Low weight increases the risk of postoperative complications
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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People who are underweight are 40% more likely to die within the first month after surgery than patients who are overweight, according to a new study.
The results show that a high body mass index (BMI) can be useful for prognosis for patients who are most at risk during recovery from surgery.
"Previous studies of the role of BMI in surgery have been mixed," said the author of the work, George Stukenborg of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
The researchers used data from 190,000 patients who underwent various operations in 183 hospitals between 2005 and 2006.
As you know, BMI is calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the height in meters in the square. According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention, people with a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 have a normal weight, with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 - overweight, with a BMI of 30 or higher - are obese.
To find the relationship between body weight and the risk of death, scientists classified patients into five groups:
- people with a BMI of less than 23.1;
- people with a BMI of 23.1 to 26.3;
- people with a BMI of 26.3 to 29.7 ;,
- people with a BMI of 29.7 to 35.3;
- people with a BMI of 35.3 and above.
In a study of 2,245 patients, 1.7% of people died within 30 days after the operation.
"We found that patients in the first group had a 40% higher risk of death than the third group of patients," Stukenborg said.
The author of the work, George Stukenborg, said that the reasons for this phenomenon are not yet known to scientists. The study did not track the weight loss of patients in the past, so it could happen that people who weighed less were initially sick before the operation.
In any case, doctors should consider BMI when planning surgical interventions.
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