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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: BACKGROUND, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Bariatric Surgery, Comorbidity, Female, Humans, Insurance, Health, Male, Medicare, Middle Aged, New York, Obesity, Morbid, Postoperative Period, Regression Analysis, United States.
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Does health insurance claim data as a means of assessing reduction in co-morbidities 6 months after bariatric surgery? Context: We measured the very short-term change in obesity-related co-morbidities following bariatric surgery. Claims data were analyzed for 933 patients aged 18-62 who were covered by one of 11 New York State health plans and underwent bariatric surgery during calendar year 2002. Data covered 6 months before to 6 months after surgery. Logit regression and fixed effects logit regressions were estimated, to analyze change in the following co-morbidities after bariatric surgery: diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, asthma, sleep apnea, degenerative joint disease, gastroesophageal reflux, and depression. There were statistically significant post-surgery decreases in each outcome studied. Controlling for individual fixed effects, the probability of a diabetes diagnosis fell by 20% after bariatric surgery. The probability of sleep apnea fell by 33%, and the probability of the other obesity-related co-morbidities fell by 11 to 19% at 6 months.
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Claims data are useful for assessing changes in a wide range of co-morbidities following bariatric surgery. The data indicate significant decreases in obesity-related co-morbidities after bariatric surgery, although considerably smaller than those found in previous studies, which underscores the need for randomized controlled trials of bariatric surgery. Limitations of this study include: follow-up only at 6 months, non-experimental data, and an unknown degree of under-reporting of co-morbidities in claims data. Final Decision: yes