Weight loss surgery linked to better health in the long run than GLP-1s

Credit: PonyWang

By Emma Wilkinson

Surgery should remain an important treatment option for patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, say researchers who found fewer serious long-term health problems compared with weight-loss medicines.

A large US study comparing years of follow-up after bariatric surgery or treatment with a range of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) found a range of better outcomes associated with surgery including reduced risk of death.