Vitamin D levels ‘can affect weight loss surgery outcomes’

A new US study has indicated that vitamin D levels can affect the likelihood of weight loss surgery patients experiencing a positive outcome.

The Johns Hopkins research, involving more than 930,000 patient records, offers evidence that seasonal sun exposure – a key factor in the body's natural ability to produce vitamin D – can play a substantial role in the success of bariatric surgery.

It was shown that patients undergoing bariatric surgery in the US during January to March – the time of lowest vitamin D levels – generally fared worse than patients who underwent procedures during the summer.

Similarly, patients having surgery in the north were more likely to experience complications than those in the sunnier south.

Dr Leigh Peterson, a nutritionist and postdoctoral research fellow at the Johns Hopkins Center for Bariatric Surgery, said: "The growing rates of obesity and increased popularity of bariatric surgeries mean that primary care clinicians and bariatric surgeons should consider screening their patients and correcting any confirmed vitamin D deficiency."

However, the evidence provided by this study alone was not deemed sufficient to recommend the routine use of vitamin D supplements as a strategy to prevent or reduce the risk of postsurgical complications.