Weight-loss surgery not only helps reduce the risk of obesity and related health conditions, but can also extend a patient’s life span, new research suggests.

The findings, reported in the journal JAMA Surgery by Lance E. Davidson, of Brigham Young University, indicate bariatric surgery is effective in reducing all causes of mortality in patients 35 years of age and older.

The conclusions are based on an analysis of 7,925 patients who underwent gastric bypass surgery and another 7,925 severely obese individuals who did not undergo the procedure.

"Importantly, this study implies that gastric bypass surgery is protective against mortality even for patients who undergo surgery at an older age,” the researchers concluded. “Gastric bypass surgery also reduces the age-related increase in mortality risk compared with severely obese individuals who do not undergo surgery."