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Alcohol Use Disorders After Bariatric Surgery

Obesity Surgery volume 22, pages 201–207 (2012)Cite this article

Abstract

Background

The increased incidence of alcohol use disorders (AUD) after bariatric surgery has been proposed despite limited empirical support. We sought to determine the prevalence of current and lifetime AUD and other Axis I diagnoses in patients who have undergone bariatric surgery, and to test the hypothesis that greater weight loss is associated with a higher incidence of AUD following surgery.

Methods

Individuals who underwent bariatric surgery between 2004 and 2007 were recruited for inclusion in the study. The diagnosis of current and lifetime AUD and other Axis I disorders was assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV.

Results

A total of 51 individuals were included. The prevalence of lifetime and current AUD was 35.3% and 11.8%, respectively. No associations were found between weight loss following surgery and the development of an AUD or other Axis I diagnoses. Significantly more current AUD was reported in (1) individuals with a lifetime history of AUD compared to those without a lifetime AUD (p < 0.05), and (2) individuals undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) compared to those undergoing the laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) surgery (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Individuals undergoing bariatric surgery were found to have a lifetime prevalence of AUD comparable to the general population. Although weight loss was not associated with the development of an AUD following surgery, individuals with a lifetime history of AUD may be at increased risk for relapsing to alcohol use after surgery. All instances of current AUD were identified in individuals undergoing RYGB as opposed to LAGB.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Norman E. Zinberg Fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry Research and the Livingston Fellowship, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School (JS), and AAK2400289 (GC).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 75 Francis St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Joji Suzuki

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s/Faulkner Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1153 Centre St, Boston, MA, 02130, USA

    Florina Haimovici

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA

    Grace Chang

Authors
  1. Joji Suzuki
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  2. Florina Haimovici
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  3. Grace Chang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joji Suzuki.

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Suzuki, J., Haimovici, F. & Chang, G. Alcohol Use Disorders After Bariatric Surgery. OBES SURG 22, 201–207 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-010-0346-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-010-0346-1

Keywords

  • Alcohol
  • Alcoholism
  • Addiction
  • Bariatric surgery