Obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing disability within two years after joint surgery, according to a study published in the British Journal of Anesthesia.
Here are five things you need to know:
1. The authors obtained data from the Health and Retirement Study, a longitudinal survey of older Americans. The authors included participants who indicated having joint surgery for arthritis in their study.
2. The authors defined disability as a new or increased dependence in activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing and getting in or out of bed. The authors defined obesity as a self-reported BMI at or above 30 kilograms per square meter.
3. Of 2,519 respondents who underwent joint surgery for arthritis, 65.5 percent were female, 66.6 percent had joint replacement surgery and 45.3 percent were obese. Respondents had a median age of 69 years.
4. Around 25.4 percent of obese respondents reported new incidence of dependence within two years of surgery compared with 19.4 percent of non-obese respondents. Overall, 22.1 percent of the patients reported new incidence of dependence within two years.
5. Obesity is associated with osteoarthritis and the need for joint surgery. Study findings suggest that obese patients may benefit from targeted interventions and the allocation of perioperative resources to optimize recovery and minimize long-term disability.
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