Bariatric surgery, a procedure for the severely obese that assists in weight loss through restricting food intake or complete digestion, has been reviewed by the American Heart Association in a scientific statement.

Their statement, which was published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, focuses only on the links of bariatric surgery to cardiac risk factors, and does not provide any kind of support or endorsement for the surgery. The document simply gives the perspectives of experts based on the results of scientific studies.

Obesity is an increasing epidemic in the western world, and it carries a number of potential health problems along with it. “The most rapidly growing segment of the obese population is the severely obese”, said lead author of the document, Dr. Paul Poirier of Quebec Heart and Lung Institute. “The health consequences of severe obesity are profound. In comparison with normal-weight individuals, a 25-year-old severely obese man has a 22% reduction in his expected lifespan”.

Surgical risks involved with bariatric surgery include heart problems and death. However, many doctors now think the potential benefits of lowered cholesterol and diabetes, weight loss, lessened sleep apnea, lowered blood pressure, and better heart functioning outweigh the risks.

According to Poirier, more research on this type of surgery needs to be done in youths because their amount of severely obese people continues to grow without any proven, effective treatments.