Weight loss surgery could REVERSE the effects of ageing: Study finds it can protect against type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer After surgery some patients" telomeres - genetic biomarkers that play a role in ageing of cells - lengthened suggesting ageing had been reversed Usually, telomeres become shorter as a person ages and develops illnesses The surgery also reduces inflammation levels within the body and fasting insulin levels Weight loss surgery may reverse the effects of ageing, new research suggests. After the surgery some patients" telomeres - genetic biomarkers that play a role in the ageing of cells - lengthened, suggesting the ageing process had been reversed. Usually telomeres become shorter as a person gets older. Weight loss surgery may reverse the effects of ageing, reducing the chance of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer, new research suggests Obesity has an adverse effect on health, causes premature ageing and reduces life expectancy,' said study co-author Dr John Morton, Chief of Bariatric Surgery at Stanford University Medical Centre. This is the first study to show that surgical weight loss may be able to reverse the effects. He added: "If your telomeres get longer, you're likely to reverse the effects of ageing and have a lower risk of developing a wide range of age-related diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart and respiratory diseases, and certain types of cancer." Researchers at Stanford University studied genetic data from 51 patients before and after gastric bypass surgery. After the surgery some patients' telomeres (pictured in yellow) - genetic biomarkers that play a role in the ageing of cells - lengthened suggesting the ageing process had been reversed. Usually telomeres become shorter as a person gets older Three quarters of the patients were women and their average age was 49. On average, the patients lost 71 per cent of their excess weight after the surgery and saw the level of inflammation in their body drop by more than 60 per cent. Inflammation is associated with risk of heart disease and diabetes. They also saw a four-fold decline in their fasting insulin - a marker of type 2 diabetes risk - within 12 months of surgery. These findings were consistent with the results of previous studies but the researchers went further this time. They measured the length of each patient's telomeres before and after their weight loss. They found that after the gastric bypass, some of the patients" telomeres became longer. The benefits were most pronounced in patients who had had high levels of "bad cholesterol" and of inflammation before their surgery. Just as the tips of shoelaces prevent fraying, telomeres keep chromosomes stable and prevent deterioration when the cells containing them divide. Researchers say further studies are needed to confirm the direct effects of telomere length on health outcomes. The research was presented at ObesityWeek 2013, an event hosted by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery and The Obesity Society.