Mayo Fracture Findings...

I just received this notice from Bariatric Advantage...I found very interesting.

Dear Valued Customer,

We wanted to let you know about new data presented this week (June 10, 2009) at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in Washington DC.  Doctors from the Mayo clinic looked at 97 patients from the past 20 years who have had bariatric surgery.  They found that 21 of these patients had suffered a total of 31 fractures.  Most fractures occurred an average of 7 years after surgery, with the primary locations being in the hands and feet.  Other sites of fractures were the hip, spine and upper arm.
 
There are many risks for fracture in adults including age, gender, ethnicity, smoking and alcohol use, diseases like type 1 diabetes or rheumatoid arthritis, and use of medications such as steroids, antidepressants, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).  But nutrition is also a serious risk.  Inadequate calcium intake and poor vitamin D status are significant factors in the ability to maintain bone health after bariatric surgery.
 
The ASMBS recommended intakes for calcium after bariatric surgery are as follows:

• Adjustable Gastric Band (AGB): 1500mg calcium
• Gastric Bypass (RNY): 1500 to 1800mg calcium as calcium citrate
• Duodenal Switch (DS): 1800 to 2400mg calcium as calcium citrate

 
These recommendations are for calcium intake over and above dietary intake.  While it may sound like a lot it is terribly important that your body gets the amount of calcium it needs.  You need calcium to keep your heart beating and your brain functioning (as well as for other things).  So when the body does not get enough coming in each day, it takes calcium from your bones to supply it to the heart and brain.  People will often not know this until they actually break a bone. 
 
Generally, the ASMBS recommends that AGB and RNY patients get 400 to 800 IU of vitamin D3 daily and that DS patients get 2000 IU of vitamin D3 daily.  There is a lot of data indicating that vitamin D deficiency is very common both before and after surgery, and that many patients require higher doses of D3 based on their lab findings.  If you have not had your vitamin D levels tested, it is a good idea to know what they are.  Your doctor or dietitian can help you determine the amount of vitamin D you need to take based on this test.
 
To read more about the Mayo Clinic findings, you can click on the links below:

• Mayo Clinic press release: http://www.mayoclinic.org/news2009-rst/5312.html
• Article in Science Daily: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610124420.htm

Wow Katt!  What an eye opening article.  With me being close to this range, it kind of scares me.  I know I don't get enough calcium and I should be better at it but with the way money is right now, I just can't afford to get as much as I should.  I always feel like my teeth are going to fall out or I am going to break something all the time (I'm a world class clutz).  I am always careful not to fall but gravity works really good.

WOW! Thanks  Katti it remind me also to go take my calcium

Katt,

Thanks so much for sharing.  My PCP is an Internist/Endocrinologist and the two of us agreed at about 4 months post op that he would follow-up on my blood work vs. the surgeon.  Why?  Because the surgeon would only do blood work 2-3 times during the 1st year.  My PCP does two panels of tests each 12 weeks apart.  Basically I do blood work every 6 weeks.  He tracks D, calcium, protein and all the other goodies, like blood sugar, cholesterol.  I have had to make 1 adjustment and that was only to add a chewable iron 6 weeks ago, and he was most pleased today when I saw him to go over my recent labs and the red blood cells had increased to normal and the iron was getting back up to normal.

So the Mayo & the endocrinologists are surely on to something here I think.  I feel better anyway!  LOL

Hugs,
Barb

Katt,

Wow, that is amazing.. Thank you so very much for sharing.. I have to say, since my scare with my vitamins, I have been taking them EVERYDAY, and I hope to not run into any of those problems listed in the article..

Such an eye opener though... Thanks again for sharing..

Everyone KEEP UP ON YOUR VITAMINS..

Lots of Luv and Hugs,
Jenn

I am glad that you all enjoyed the article. It was very eye-opening. If you never believed before about the necessity of taking your vitamins and calcium everyday, you should now. =)

Katt thanks for posting this (love your avitar by the way).  Channel 7 mentioned this in a news report on friday but it of course they didn't go into any detail.

Monica

Thanx for the compliment hun! I must have missed the channel 7 report. And they never go into full detail. Glad I posted this for everyone to read. This is such an important issue.

Thanks for this information.....I truly believe that many post op issues may develop, whether they are serious or minor.

I've heard about the fracture issues in the past and this is a constant reminder about what we can do to help prevent long term complications.

You're welcome Gus! =)