Pediatric cholecystectomy case volume increased during COVID-19 pandemic
Editor's Note: Cholecystectomy case volume significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to study results published in ScienceDirect December 30. While cholecystectomy is infrequently performed in children, the pandemic drove lifestyle changes, delays in healthcare access, and increases in childhood obesity. Further studies are needed to determine whether these braoder…
Study: Fondoplication, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass both viable for GERD patients with obesity
Editor's Note: Fondoplication and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are both viable choices for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in patients with obesity, according to a recent study comparing the two procedures. Results were published December 27 in ScienceDirect. The study was based on a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained quality…
AAAHC: Updated toolkit to ensure surgery safety with obese patients
Editor's Note The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) of Deerfield, Illinois, has released its revamped Ambulatory Surgery Considerations for Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Toolkit, ASC Focus October 2023 reports. The new toolkit provides updated guidelines on how healthcare providers can ensure that patients with obesity and/or obstructive…
Bariatric surgery linked to suicide risks in obese patients
Editor's Note This multisite study, led by Durham VA Medical Center and Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, finds that bariatric surgery is associated with greater risks of suicidal ideation (ie, suicidal thoughts or ideas) and suicide attempts than nonsurgical treatments in obese patients. For the analysis, 38,199 patients in the…
Study: Weight-loss surgical procedures among teens on the rise
Editor's note According to a research letter, titled “Use of metabolic and bariatric surgery among US youth” and published by JAMA Pediatrics on May 30, “more young people between the ages of 10 and 19 are undergoing weight-loss surgeries,” Chief Healthcare Executive June 1 reports. This emerging trend has prompted…
Racial disparities in COVID-19 outcomes of cancer patients
Editor's Note This multi-center study by cancer centers across the US finds that having cancer and COVID-19 is associated with worse outcomes in Black patients compared with White patients. Of 3,506 patients included in the analysis, 1,068 (30%) were Black and 2,438 (70%) were White. At the time of COVID-19…
Study reveals why elderly, those with preexisting conditions are more susceptible to COVID-19
Editor's Note This study by researchers at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, reveals the cellular mechanism behind why the elderly and patients with preexisting conditions are at higher risk of infection, severe side effects, and death from COVID-19. The researchers detail their discovery that circulating levels of a protein called…
Effect of obesity, age on mild forms of COVID-19
Editor's Note In this study, researchers at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, find that overweight and obese adolescents and adults experienced more respiratory symptoms from COVID-19. Of 552 individuals enrolled in the study, 470 tested positive for COVID-19, including 261 adults (18 years or more old), 61 adolescents…
Lack of exercise linked to a higher risk for severe COVID-19, death
Editor's Note This study from the department of family and sports medicine, Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, Fontana, California, finds that a lack of physical activity was strongly associated with a greater risk of severe COVID-19 and death. This analysis compares outcomes in 48,440 adults diagnosed with COVID-19 between January and…
Obese adults with COVID-19 at higher risk for hospitalization, ICU admission, death
Editor's Note This study by researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that obesity increases the risk for severe COVID-19-associated illness. Of 148,494 US adults with confirmed COVID-19 treated at 238 hospitals included in the study, 28.3% were overweight and 50.8% were obese. Severely obese adults…
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