FOXNews.com: Alcohol abuse increases after weight loss surgery

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Alcohol abuse increases after weight loss surgery Jun 18th 2012, 18:03 A new study has found that adults who undergo a common type of bariatric surgery to lose weight appear to have a significantly higher risk of abusing alcohol two years after the procedure, according to researchers the University of Pittsburgh and the National Institutes of Health. The study investigated alcohol consumption and abuse in nearly 2,000 patients across the United States.  Researchers surveyed bariatric patients on their alcohol consumption 30 days before surgery, then again one and two years after surgery. Nearly 70 percent of the participants had gastric bypass surgery – which reduces the side of the stomach and shortens the intestine – and were most at risk for alcohol disorders.  Another 25 percent had laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding surgery, which uses a band to make the stomach smaller, and the remaining 5 percent had other, less-common surgeries. Of those patients who had gastric bypass, 7 percent reported symptoms of alcohol disorders before surgery.  That rate increased to 10.7 percent two years after surgery – a relative increase of more than 50 percent.  Translated to the entire population of people who undergo gastric bypass in the U.S., this could mean an increase of 2000 people suffering from alcohol disorders per year. Though a prior problem with drinking was one of the best predictors of having a disorder later, more than half of the participants who developed disorders two years after surgery did not have a prior history of alcohol abuse, according to the researchers. In contrast, among patients who had lap band surgery, about 5 percent suffered from alcohol use disorders two years after surgery, which was similar to pre-surgery rates.   The survey the researchers used, known as the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification (AUDIT) test, was developed by the World Health Organization to identify symptoms of alcohol use disorders, which include alcohol abuse and dependence, or alcoholism. The participants were categorized as having an alcohol-related disorder if they had at least one symptom of dependence.  Symptoms of dependence included not being able to stop drinking after having started or not being able to remember what happened after a night of drinking. The patients most at risk of developing an alcohol-related disorder were those with little social support, those who had engaged in recreational drug or alcohol abuse in the past, those who suffered from depressive symptoms, binge eaters, men, and young adults. "The study results suggest that clinicians should be aware of the importance of monitoring for signs and symptoms of alcohol use disorders and consider counseling after bariatric surgery," Dr. Mary Horlick, project scientist for LABS at the NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), said in a released statement. Because obesity – and consequently, bariatric surgery rates – are on the rise in the U.S., the researchers said it was important to learn more about bariatric surgery and the consequences on a patient's health and wellbeing.   The study results were published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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