Overweight Seniors: Better Surgical Recovery?
- Research suggests that a higher BMI might potentially be protective in the short term for older adults undergoing major optional surgery,challenging conventional guidelines.
- investigators from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA published a study in JAMA Network Open indicating that older adults (65+) who are overweight may have...
- Cecilia Canales, MD, lead study author and assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine at UCLA, stated, "Traditional surgical guidelines frequently enough emphasize having...
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Overweight older Adults May Have Lower Risk of Death After Surgery
Table of Contents
Research suggests that a higher BMI might potentially be protective in the short term for older adults undergoing major optional surgery,challenging conventional guidelines.
What Happened?
investigators from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA published a study in JAMA Network Open indicating that older adults (65+) who are overweight may have a lower risk of death in the first 30 days following major optional surgery compared to those with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). This challenges conventional wisdom that a normal BMI is optimal before surgery.
Cecilia Canales, MD, lead study author and assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine at UCLA, stated, “Traditional surgical guidelines frequently enough emphasize having a normal BMI before surgery, but our findings suggest that these recommendations may need to be reconsidered for older adults.”1,2
Why Does This Matter?
Traditionally, a high BMI (25-35+) has been associated with increased risk of chronic conditions, decreased life expectancy, and postoperative complications like blood loss, infection, and thromboembolic events. This led to recommendations for weight loss prior to surgery. Though, this study suggests that in older adults, moderate excess weight may offer a protective effect in the immediate postoperative period.
This finding is critically important as it highlights the importance of considering age-specific physiological differences when assessing surgical risk. Applying the same BMI standards to all age groups may not be appropriate.
Understanding BMI and Surgical Risk
BMI (Body Mass Index) is a calculation using height and weight to estimate body fat. While a useful tool, it doesn’t directly measure body fat and can be misleading, especially in older adults who may have lost muscle mass.
| BMI Category | BMI range | Weight Status |
|---|---|---|
| Underweight | < 18.5 | Below Normal |
| normal weight | 18.5 – 24.9 | Healthy Weight |
| Overweight | 25 – 29.9 | Excess Weight |
| Obese | 30 – 34.9 | Substantially Excess Weight |
| Morbidly Obese | ≥ 35 | very Significantly Excess Weight |
The study suggests that the protective effect of moderate excess weight in older adults might potentially be due to factors such as increased energy reserves, improved wound healing, or a dampened inflammatory response.Further research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms.
Who is Affected?
This research primarily affects older adults (65+) who are considering major optional surgeries. It also impacts surgical clinicians, anesthesiologists, and healthcare providers involved in pre-operative risk assessment.The findings may lead to revised guidelines for surgical planning in this population.
Timeline of Research
- Ongoing Research: studies continue to investigate the relationship between BMI, age, and surgical outcomes.