Effects of Intragastric balloon on obesity in obese Korean women for 6 months post removal

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of morbid obesity in Korean women has consistently been increasing, while the overall prevalence rate of obesity in Korean women seems to be stable. In addition to bariatric surgery, intragastric balloons (IGB), as a non-surgical therapy, have been reported to be effective in weight loss. However, the beneficial effects of IGB in Korean women with obesity have not been fully investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in fat mass in Korean women with obesity who had undergone IGB treatment for 6 months.Methods: Seventy-four women with obesity (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2) were recruited. Clinical data, including general information, comorbidities with obesity, anthropometric data, and changes in the body fat composition before and after IGB treatment, were obtained from the subjects.Results: Most subjects had one or more comorbidities, such as osteoarthropathy and woman’s disease, and had bad eating behaviors including irregular mealtimes, eating quickly, and frequent overeating. Body composition measurements showed that weight, fat mass and waist-hip circumference ratio decreased significantly at 6 months after IGB treatment. Especially, women with morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) showed 33% excess weight loss. There was no significant difference in skeletal muscle mass and mineral contents after IGB treatment.Conclusion: The present study suggested that 6 months of IGB treatment can be a beneficial treatment for obesity without muscle mass and bone mineral loss.