Skip to main content
        
        U.S. flag
                An official website of the United States government
                    Here’s how you know
                Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**
                        
                        A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
            **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                        
                        A **lock** (
                        Locked padlock icon
                        ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.Search
    Menu

        Search for Information from NIDDK
            
            Entire Site
                Research & Funding
                Health Information
                News
                About NIDDKSearch

Home
            Research & Funding
                                Expand Research & Funding
                                Current Funding Opportunities
                                                    Research Programs & Contacts
                                                    Human Subjects Research
                                                    Funding Process
                                            Research Training & Career Development
                                                    Funded Grants & Grant History
                                                    Research Resources
                                            Research at NIDDK
                                                    Technology Advancement & Transfer
                                                    Meetings & Workshops
                        Health Information
                                Expand Health Information
                                Health Topics
                                                                                                    Diabetes
                                                    Digestive Diseases
                                                    Kidney Disease
                                                    Weight Management
                                                    Liver Disease
                                                    Urologic Diseases
                                                    Endocrine Diseases
                                                    Diet & Nutrition
                                                    Blood Diseases
                                                    Diagnostic Tests
                                            La información de la salud en español
                                                    Health Statistics
                                                    Healthy Moments Radio Broadcast
                                                    Clinical Trials
                                            For Health Professionals
                                                    Diabetes Discoveries & Practice Blog
                                                    Community Health & Outreach
                        News
                                Expand News
                                News Archive
                                                    For Reporters
                                            Meetings & Workshops
                                                    Media Library
                                            Follow Us
                        About NIDDK
                                Expand About NIDDK
                                Meet the Director
                                                    Offices & Divisions
                                                    Staff Directory
                                                    Budget & Legislative Information
                                            Advisory & Coordinating Committees
                                                    Strategic Plans & Reports
                                                    Research Areas
                                                    FAQs
                                            Jobs at NIDDK
                                                    Visit Us
                                                    Contact Us Home
                    About NIDDK
                    Research Areas
                    Obesity
                    Bariatric Surgery for Teens with Severe Obesity Study: Teen-LABS

    Related Topics
        Obesity
        Bariatric Surgery for Teens with Severe Obesity Study: Teen-LABS
                Long-term Study of Bariatric Surgery for Obesity: LABS
                Long-term Lifestyle Change for Type 2 Diabetes & Obesity Study: Look AHEADBariatric Surgery for Teens with Severe Obesity Study: Teen-LABS
    The NIDDK funded the Teen-LABS (Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery) study to look at the short- and long-term risks and benefits of bariatric (weight-loss) surgery in teens, including gastric band, gastric sleeve, and gastric bypass. Teen-LABS is the first large-scale study of this procedure in teens who have severe obesity (a much greater-than-normal amount of body fat) and serious weight-related health problems, such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessel disease), sleep apnea (breathing problems during sleep), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NASH), or other conditions.
For teens with severe obesity, lifestyle changes such as following a healthy eating plan for weight loss and being more active are important, but if not enough weight is lost to improve health, then additional treatments such as weight-loss surgery may be considered. Weight-loss surgery is being used more often as a treatment for teens who have severe obesity, but more research is needed in this area better understand how effective it is with teens and whether there are risks associated with the surgery.
Results
Researchers found major improvements in weight, heart health, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and abnormal kidney function 3 years after weight-loss surgery in teens who were in the study.
Five years after weight-loss surgery, researchers compared results for teens who were in the study and had gastric bypass surgery to adults who had the same procedure in the LABS (Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery) study. Adults in the LABS study reported having obesity when they were teens but did not have surgery until they were adults. Researchers found that earlier gastric bypass surgery may have greater benefits compared to waiting until later in life.
Teens lost 26 percent of their bodyweight and adults lost 29 percent of their bodyweight.
    Teens with type 2 diabetes before surgery were more likely than adults to have better blood glucose (blood sugar) control without the use of diabetes medications. After surgery no teens needed diabetes medications compared to 88 percent of teens before surgery. After surgery 26 percent of adults needed diabetes medications compared to 79 percent of adults before surgery.
    Teens were more likely than adults to no longer have high blood pressure or take blood pressure medications. After surgery 11 percent of teens needed blood pressure medications compared to 57 percent of teens before surgery. After surgery 33 percent of adults needed blood pressure medications compared to 68 percent of adults before surgery.Researchers also identified some risks from surgery. Five years after surgery teens were more likely than adults to need additional abdominal surgery, most commonly gallbladder removal. Teens were also more likely to have low iron and vitamin D levels, possibly because teens may be less likely to take enough vitamin D and mineral supplements after surgery. There was a similar death rate for teens and adults.
Study Size, Participant Demographics, Study Design, and Follow-up
About 240 teens, ages 13 to 19, were enrolled in Teen-LABS between 2006 and 2012. 161 teens in the study had bariatric surgery at five medical centers:
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Ohio
    Texas Children’s Hospital, Texas
    Children’s Hospital of Alabama, Alabama
    University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania
    Nationwide Children’s Hospital, OhioBefore joining the study, all of the teens made the decision to have weight-loss surgery. While the study did not provide their surgeries, all surgeries took place at one of the Teen-LABS’ clinical locations specialized in the surgical evaluation and management of young people with severe obesity. Their health was then evaluated as part of the study before and after surgery. The surgeries were performed between 2007 and 2012.
In 2016, NIDDK extended funding for Teen-LABS for several more years to allow the researchers to gain additional information from participants on longer-term benefits and risks from the surgery. For example, researchers will assess
how long the weight loss lasts
    whether improvements in quality of life, diabetes, blood pressure, and other conditions are long lasting
    whether other health problems occurResearch findings on the longer-term health outcomes of weight-loss surgery will guide treatment decisions to improve the health of teens with severe obesity.
Related Health Information
Bariatric SurgeryNews Releases
Early weight-loss surgery may improve type 2 diabetes, blood pressure outcomes
    Teens achieve weight loss, health benefits with bariatric surgery
    Bariatric Surgery in Teens Leads to Relatively Few Short-term ComplicationsScientific Publications and Resources
Teen-LABS Study Website
    Teen-LABS Study on ClinicalTrials.gov
    Teen-LABS Study Documents and Materials from the NIDDK Central Repository
    Teen-LABS Grant Information from dkNET
    Inge TH, Courcoulas, AP, Jenkins, TM, et al. Five-Year Outcomes of Gastric Bypass in Adolescents as Compared with Adults.  *The New England Journal of Medicine.* 2019;380(22)2136–2145.
    Inge TH, Courcoulas, AP, Jenkins, TM, et al. Weight loss and health status 3 years after bariatric surgery in adolescents. *The New England Journal of Medicine.*2016;374(2)113–123.
    Inge TH, Zeller MH, Jenkins TM, et al. Perioperative outcomes of adolescents undergoing bariatric surgery: the Teen-Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (Teen-LABS) study*. Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics.* 2014;168(1):47–53.
        Last Reviewed May 2023 Contact Us
**Hours:** 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday**Email:** healthinfo@niddk.nih.gov**Phone:** +1-800-860-8747**TTY:** +711
Chat
Live Chat Available8:30 a.m - 5 p.m. ETMonday - Friday
Follow Us
LinkedIn
X
Facebook
YouTube
InstagramNIH... Turning Discovery Into Health ®
Privacy Policy
    Freedom of Information Act
    Accessibility
    Disclaimers
    Copyright
    Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
Site Map
    For Staff Only
    Get Email Updates
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    National Institutes of Health