Recently, I came across an interesting study and decided to share its results with you. American doctors found that people who underwent bariatric surgery are significantly less likely to suffer from mental disorders compared to those receiving weekly GLP-1 obesity injections.
It is known that obesity increases the risk of anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental health conditions by approximately 25%. Therefore, researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent metabolic and bariatric surgery and patients on GLP-1 agonists (semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide, dulaglutide) using the TriNetX database. They examined records of 33,600 surgical patients and 33,600 pharmacotherapy patients, comparing the incidence of mental disorders over five years.
The results showed that over a five-year period, surgical patients had a 54% lower risk of cognitive deficits, an 18% lower risk of anxiety disorders, and a 17% lower risk of substance use disorders.
Dr. Sean Levy, a co-author of the study, said:"The study shows that metabolic and bariatric surgery provides a strong protective effect against common mental health disorders compared to GLP-1 pharmacotherapy. Psychiatric screening and support should be implemented in both surgical and medical obesity programs to help reduce the likelihood of mental health issues after treatment. However, further research is needed to determine why psychological effects differ so much between treatment methods."
Dr. Ann Rogers, MD, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), who was not involved in the study, added:"Maintaining mental health is important regardless of treatment choice. Even small differences can impact quality of life, so patients and their physicians should pay special attention to monitoring mood and substance use after starting any obesity therapy. Mental health is as important as physical health and should be considered alongside any treatment."
Author
A bariatric surgeon with many years of experience helping patients improve their health and quality of life.
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