Digestive Diseases News
Fall 2007
NIH Launches Study to Assess Bariatric Surgery in Teens
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) launched an observational study to assess the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery in teenagers. Bariatric surgery can decrease the amount of calories and nutrients the body absorbs by reducing stomach size. The Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) study will help determine whether the surgery is an appropriate treatment option for extremely overweight teens.
During the next 5 years, researchers will enroll 200 extremely overweight teens scheduled for bariatric surgery at the participating clinical sites and compare their pre- and postoperative data to 200 adults scheduled for bariatric surgery who have a history of obesity since their teen years. Researchers will collect information on the preoperative and 2-year postoperative status of participants, including measures of body composition, cardiovascular risk factors, sleep apnea episodes, diabetes indicators, depressive symptoms, quality of life, eating habits, and nutritional status. Investigators will also store serum, plasma, urine, and genetic samples for future studies.
Teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19 who are scheduled for bariatric surgery are eligible for the study, but younger patients could be considered if they meet clinical criteria for surgery at one of the participating centers. The study pays for data collection but not for the surgery and related patient care.
The Teen-LABS protocol parallels that of the adult LABS study, an observational study evaluating
the benefits and risks of bariatric surgery and its impact on the health and well-being of extremely obese adults. The 200 teens who will be enrolled in Teen-LABS will also be participants in adult LABS.
Launched in 2003, the six clinical centers for the adult LABS have already enrolled more than 4,000 patients in a series of short-term and longer-term studies. These studies will collect information about patient characteristics, types of surgeries, medical and psychosocial outcomes, economic factors, and other topics. The adult LABS study is expected to continue through 2008.
Recent data show that nearly 17 percent of U.S. youth between the ages of 6 and 19 are considered
overweight. Overweight youth are more likely to develop serious health problems, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The goal for overweight teens is to slow the rate of weight gain by eating fewer calories and increasing physical activity, but these changes are very difficult
for severely overweight youth to achieve.
“We know that bariatric surgery is not an easy way out for teens to control weight,” said Mary Horlick, M.D., project scientist for Teen-LABS and director of the Pediatric Clinical Obesity Program in the Division of Digestive Diseases and Nutrition (DDN). The DDN is part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the sponsor of Teen-LABS at the NIH. “We hope to learn whether or not bariatric surgery is suitable for extremely overweight teens and if it will help them remain at a healthy weight over the long-term.”
The Teen-LABS study is under way at the following medical centers:
- Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston
- Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham
- University of Pittsburgh
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (Data Coordinating and Clinical Center)
For more information about weight control and physical activity in children and teens, go to www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications and www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/take_charge.htm. To learn more about Teen-LABS, visit www.cincinnatichildrens.org/research/project/teen-labs. For information about the adult LABS study, visit www.niddkLABS.org.
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NIH Publication No. 08–4552
November 2007
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