Weight loss surgery may cause memory loss
Obese people who undergo surgery to lose weight may suffer memory loss after the operation, new research shows.
The syndrome - wernicke encephalopathy - affects the nervous system and brain, and can lead to confusion and the inability to coordinate movement, said the online edition of BBC News.
Sonal Singh of Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina and other researchers identified 32 cases of wernicke encephalopathy after obesity surgery, 27 involving women.
The study, published in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, says the syndrome is caused by a lack of vitamin B1, or thiamine. Frequent vomiting after surgery can lead to the syndrome, the study found.
'It is not clear if the condition is more common in women or if there were more cases in women because 75 percent of obesity surgery patients are female,' the researchers said.
Those who had undergone weight loss surgery were urged to take their prescribed vitamin supplements and be alert for symptoms such as vomiting, confusion, visual changes and lack of coordination.
'When people who have had weight loss surgery start experiencing any of these symptoms, they need to see a doctor right away,' he said. 'If treated promptly, the outlook is usually good.'
For treatment, patients are given vitamin B1 through an IV or injection.
Of the 32 people in the study, 13 made a full recovery, though others continued to have problems such as memory loss.
Singh said more studies are needed to determine how often the syndrome occurs after weight loss surgery.
Read the rest of this entry ... (2 words left)
