Weight Loss Surgery Increases Fracture Risk: Study

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Weight loss surgery such as gastric bypass or banding may double a person's risk of fractures, according to U.S. researchers who reviewed data from nearly 100 patients.

The Mayo Clinic team found that about 20 percent of patients suffered fractures within seven years of their weight loss surgery, twice the normal rate for their age group, BBC News reported.

Most of the fractures occurred in the hands and feet, but the patients also suffered fractures of the hip, spine and upper arm. The study will be presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.

Lead author Dr. Elizabeth Haglind said more research is needed to confirm the findings and to understand more about the specific risk factors and mechanisms involved, BBC News reported.