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Adolescents who endure bariatric surgical procedure face the next danger of weight regain, which may undermine remedy success and long-term well being, if they’ve elevated blood ranges of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) previous to the process, in response to new USC analysis.
PFAS are manufactured chemical substances utilized in shopper merchandise that accumulate within the physique over time and are more and more linked to a spread of well being issues, together with kidney issues, liver harm and numerous cancers.
The findings are printed within the journal Weight problems.
Bariatric surgical procedure, a type of weight-loss surgical procedure that alters the digestive system, is an efficient remedy for extreme weight problems that may scale back the chance of long-term well being issues comparable to kind 2 diabetes and heart problems. However many individuals who get bariatric surgical procedure regain vital weight over time, which may restrict the process’s long-term well being advantages.
Researchers imagine PFAS publicity might play a task in weight regain as a result of the chemical substances are recognized to disrupt endocrine and metabolic processes.
“With the growing use of weight loss interventions around the world, it’s critical for us to understand the association between PFAS and successful weight loss management, including what this means for long-term outcomes,” stated Brittney Baumert, Ph.D., MPH, a postdoctoral analysis fellow in inhabitants and public well being sciences on the Keck Faculty of Drugs of USC and the research’s first writer.
Baumert and her colleagues carried out the primary long-term research linking PFAS publicity to bariatric surgical procedure outcomes in teenagers. They tracked 186 adolescents for 5 years, discovering that these with larger PFAS blood ranges earlier than surgical procedure regained extra weight and had larger will increase in waist circumference than these with decrease PFAS ranges.
The strongest associations had been noticed in a category of PFAS often known as sulfonic acids, which incorporates perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS) and perfluoroheptanesulfonic acid (PFHpS).
The findings may assist well being care suppliers tailor remedy plans to higher serve sufferers, in addition to provide hints concerning the organic mechanisms that underlie the well being results of PFAS. The research additionally underscores the necessity for stronger limits on PFAS ranges in meals packaging, water provides and different sources of publicity, the researchers stated.
“Our study shows a clear association between PFAS exposure and weight-related outcomes in bariatric surgery for adolescents,” Baumert stated.
“PFAS are a modifiable risk, which is why protective policies are so important to reduce exposure and safeguard public health—especially for vulnerable populations.”
Monitoring long-term outcomes
The researchers analyzed knowledge on 186 teenagers from the Teen-Longitudinal Evaluation of Bariatric Surgical procedure (Teen-LABS) research who underwent bariatric surgical procedure between 2007 and 2012.
Earlier than surgical procedure, blood samples had been collected from every affected person and examined for ranges of seven sorts of PFAS. Weight, physique mass index (BMI) and waist circumference had been measured earlier than surgical procedure and 6 months, one yr, three years and 5 years after surgical procedure.
To research the info, the researchers divided sufferers into three teams based mostly on their blood PFAS concentrations: low, medium and excessive publicity.
General, sufferers with larger blood ranges of PFOS, PFHxS and PFHpS gained extra weight and had larger will increase in waist circumference one to 5 years post-surgery, in comparison with sufferers with decrease blood ranges of these chemical substances.
For instance the distinction for PFOS, adolescents with a beginning physique weight of 328 kilos within the low publicity group regained, on common, 35.9 kilos by the five-year mark. However teenagers of the identical weight with the best PFOS publicity regained, on common, 46.9 kilos.
For PFHpS, teenagers within the highest publicity group regained weight at a median of 4.3% of their baseline body weight per yr, in comparison with 2.7% per yr within the lowest publicity group.
Higher affected person care
The research provides to the mounting proof supporting stronger regulation of PFAS, the researchers stated—significantly in public water provides, that are the best supply of publicity.
It additionally factors to potential methods for enhancing affected person care. Bariatric surgical procedure is dear and invasive, so understanding who’s prone to profit may help suppliers make knowledgeable selections about one of the best course of remedy for every particular person.
“We’re also interested in exploring whether PFAS exposure is relevant to other weight loss interventions,” together with GLP-1 drugs comparable to Ozempic, Baumert stated.
As well as, Baumert and her workforce are investigating the hyperlink between PFAS and long-term metabolic well being. For instance: how may PFAS publicity relate to an individual’s danger for kind 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver illness (MASLD)? The researchers at the moment are analyzing these connections utilizing knowledge from the Teen-LABS research.
Extra info:
PFAS Publicity and Postoperative Weight Regain in Adolescents After Bariatric Surgical procedure: Findings from the Teen-LABS Examine, Weight problems (2025). DOI: 10.1002/oby.70009
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Keck Faculty of Drugs of USC
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Teenagers with larger blood ranges of PFAS regain extra weight after bariatric surgical procedure, research finds (2025, August 14)
retrieved 14 August 2025
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