Bariatric Surgery: Could It Turn Back the Aging Clock?

Scientific findings recently showcased at Obesity Week, show that bariatric surgery may offer yet another health benefit, this time associated with aging. Board certified surgeon, Dr. Kahlil Shillingford, has been treating morbid obesity in patients for nearly a decade as part of his independent medical practice in South Florida. The Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve), the Gastric Bypass, and the Gastric Lap-Band modify the way patients consume meals by restraining intake at varying degrees. In addition to experiencing tremendous weight loss results, Dr. Shillingford’s patients have also seen an improvement and even reversal of their weight related health conditions, such as type-2 diabetes and hypertension following bariatric surgery. In recent years his practice has expanded to treat patients traveling from Tallahassee, Naples, Orlando, Miami, Vero Beach, and other major cities in and out of the state of Florida

With health discoveries at an all time rise, it is no surprise that the topic of aging has gained significant attention in the scientific community. Research has revealed that as we age the protective buffer zones, known as telomeres, at the ends of DNA strands diminish over time. When these fundamental caps are lost during DNA replication, the sequences that contain crucial genetic code begin to deteriorate. Telomere shrinkage has been linked not only to aging, but also to cancer and other potentially lethal neurodegenerative diseases.

During the Obesity week presentations researchers at Stanford University revealed that in a preliminary study patients maintained telomere length a year after bariatric surgery. Even more remarkably, patients with particularly high preoperative cholesterol and inflammation markers demonstrated an increase in telomere length. This is the first study to demonstrate potential aging benefits to bariatric surgery and the scientific community seems to agree that the implications to such findings are hard to ignore. As healthcare continues to emphasize prevention and early detection, evidence for the potential outcomes in patients who qualify for bariatric surgery will be a key factor in expanding coverage.

The recent Obesity Week meeting between the Obesity Society and the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery drew a diverse group of respected experts in the scientific community including researchers, clinicians, integrated health professionals, physicians, and policymakers.

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Dr. Kahlil Shillingford is a board certified surgeon who specializes in bariatric or weight loss surgery including the Sleeve Gastrectomy (Gastric Sleeve), Gastric Bypass, and Lap-Band procedures. His patients come from across the state of Florida including Tallahassee, Naples, Orlando, Vero Beach, and Miami. To learn more about Dr. Shillingford’s integrative weight loss surgeries and all-inclusive fees please call his office in Boca Raton, Florida at (561) 483-8840.