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Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health-Related Quality of Life in Bariatric Surgery Patients

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Abstract

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is impaired in severely obese individuals presenting for bariatric surgery. Little is known about the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and HRQOL in these individuals. We hypothesized that better HRQOL would be reported by those with higher CRF. In 326 gastric bypass patients (mean BMI = 46.5 ± 7.0; mean age = 40.9 ± 10.1; 83.4% female), pre-surgical CRF was quantified as duration (minutes) of a submaximal treadmill test to 80% of age-predicted maximal heart rate (MHR). Patients completed both a general measure of HRQOL [the Medical Outcome Short Form 36 (SF-36)] and a weight-specific measure of HRQOL [Impact of Weight on Quality of Life—Lite]. Mean HRQOL scores were examined, controlling for age, gender, and BMI. Mean treadmill duration was 9.9 ± 3.1 min, and percent age-predicted MHR was 81.2 ± 3.0%. Higher cardiorespiratory fitness tended to be associated with better physical and weight-specific HRQOL. Adjustment for differences in gender, age, and BMI attenuated the significance of associations between fitness and physical measures from the SF-36, whereas adjustment eliminated significance of associations between fitness and weight-specific HRQOL in most cases. Results suggest that CRF confers some HRQOL benefits in severely obese adults, though these benefits may largely be explained by differences in age, gender, and BMI.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the NIH/NIDDK (DK-55006) and the National Center for Research Resources (MO1-RR00064).

Disclosures

Dr. Kolotkin received consulting fees from University of Utah for her participation in this NIH-funded study. She also receives royalties from Duke University for the use of the IWQOL-Lite.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Obesity and Quality of Life Consulting, 762 Ninth Street #563, Durham, NC, 27705, USA

    Ronette L. Kolotkin

  2. Department of Community and Family Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, 318 Hanes House, Box 2914, Durham, NC, 27710, USA

    Ronette L. Kolotkin

  3. Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, State University of New York at Buffalo, 272 Farber Hall, 3435 Main St., Buffalo, NY, 14214, USA

    Michael J. LaMonte

  4. Cardiovascular Genetics Division, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah, 420 Chipeta Way, Room 1160, Salt Lake City, UT, 84108, USA

    Sheldon Litwin, Richard E. Gress, Steven C. Hunt & Ted D. Adams

  5. Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, 120 Eighth Street South, P.O. Box 1415, Fargo, ND, 58107, USA

    Ross D. Crosby

  6. University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1919 Elm Street North, Room 118, Fargo, ND, 58102, USA

    Ross D. Crosby

  7. The Health and Fitness Institute, LDS Hospital, Intermountain Healthcare, 8th Avenue and C Street, Salt Lake City, UT, 84143, USA

    Frank G. Yanowitz & Ted D. Adams

Authors
  1. Ronette L. Kolotkin
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  2. Michael J. LaMonte
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  3. Sheldon Litwin
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  4. Ross D. Crosby
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  8. Ted D. Adams
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Correspondence to Ronette L. Kolotkin.

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Kolotkin, R.L., LaMonte, M.J., Litwin, S. et al. Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health-Related Quality of Life in Bariatric Surgery Patients. OBES SURG 21, 457–464 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-010-0261-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-010-0261-5

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