People who had weight-loss surgery reported greater alcohol use two years after their procedures, according to a U.S. study.
The researchers, whose findings appeared in the Archives of Surgery, said it's possible some patients turn to drinking if the surgery stops their ability to overeat without addressing underlying issues. In addition, certain stomach-shrinking procedures may sharply reduce alcohol tolerance.
"This is perhaps a risk," said Alexis Conason, who worked on the study at the New York Obesity Nutrition Research Center at St.
Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. "I don't think it should deter people from having surgery, but you should be cautious to monitor [alcohol use] after surgery."
Her team's study involved 155 people getting gastric-bypass or gastric-banding surgery, mostly women. Participants started the study with an average body mass index of 46 - equivalent to a five-foot, six-inch person weighing 285 pounds. Surgery is typically recommended for people with a BMI of at least 40, or at least 35 if they also have health problems such as diabetes or severe sleep apnea.
Alcohol use dropped immediately after surgery, from 61 per cent of people who initially reported drinking to 20 per cent at one month post-surgery. But by three months, drinking rates had started to creep back up.
And at two years, people were drinking significantly more often than before their procedures. That was mainly the case for those who had gastric-bypass surgery, not banding.
Conason said gastric bypass, in particular, has been shown to drastically lower alcohol tolerance, to the point that some post-surgery patients have a blood-alcohol content above the legal driving limit after just one drink. For some, that could make drinking more appealing, she added.
