Obesity Could Impact Function Following Cardiac Surgery

The effects of obesity on risk of functional decline among patients undergoing cardiac surgery varies by age, according to a recent study.

The retrospective cohort study included 1731 adults who underwent cardiac surgery and were involved in the Health and Retirement study (median age 71 years, 59.3% female). Participants were classified as normal weight, overweight, or obese based on their body mass index (BMI). Declines in participants’ ability to perform daily activities after surgery was assessed as the primary outcome.
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Overall, 34.3% of participants were classified as obese. Participants with obesity had a higher incidence of functional decline compared with those who were not obese (22.4% vs 17.1%, respectively).

While multivariable analysis of the entire cohort showed that obesity was not associated with declines in the ability to perform daily activities following cardiac surgery (odds ratio [OR] 1.20), participants with obesity aged 50 to 79 years old had greater odds of experiencing functional declines (OR 1.45).

In addition, participants with obesity aged 80 years and older had non-statistically significant lower odds of experiencing a decline in the ability to perform daily activities compared with participants without obesity (OR 0.61).

“The association between obesity and postoperative functional decline in survivors of cardiac surgery differed according to age,” the researchers concluded. “Additional research is needed to identify interventions to improve outcomes in groups of older adults in whom obesity may increase the risk of postoperative functional decline.”

—Melissa Weiss

Reference:

Gaulton TG, Neuman MD. Association between obesity, age, and functional decline in survivors of cardiac surgery [published online November 8, 2017]. J Am Geriatr Soc. doi:10.1111/jgs.15160.