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.