PATIENTS AND METHODS
This longitudinal study comprised 5874 patients that were submitted to IGB treatment in five private clinics in Brazil from January 2009 to January 2017. The inclusion criteria were: adults and elderly patients (19-80 years) with a BMI ≥ 27kg/m² that failed in clinical treatment for weight loss. The exclusion criteria were patients presenting obesity attributed to hormonal or genetic disorders, alcohol or drug abusers, diagnosis of malignant diseases, pregnancy and previous treatment with IGB.
A preliminary interview ascertained medical history, including previous attempts to lose weight, co-morbidities, and the impact of their obesity, both socially and psychologically. The co-morbidities considered were: dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis, hypertension, hypothyroidism, hepatic steatosis, insulin resistance, sleep apnea, hyperuricemia, polycystic ovary syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus and kidney transplantation.