The main purpose of this prospective matched cohort study is to determine the feasibility for a future, novel large-scale study, clinical trial that will aim to determine how common dyspnea is in obese patients, how much dyspnea affects their quality-of-life, and how these parameters are affected by medically or surgically induced weight loss. Our basic assumption is that dyspnea is more common than is commonly believed in obese patients and that it profoundly affects quality of life. Our main hypothesis is that weight loss improves dyspnea and HRQOL and that bariatric surgery induced weight loss is more effective than medical weight loss at improving dyspnea-related quality-of-life.
Most research to date on bariatric surgery outcomes has been about metabolic syndrome, a disorder very effectively treated by bariatric surgery. However, obesity is also associated with many other problems that have received much less attention. Amongst the most troubling of these for patients is dyspnea. Dyspnea results in substantial patient distress that can greatly reduce health-related quality of life. Little is known about the relationship between dyspnea, weight loss, and bariatric surgery. Dyspnea is a complex symptom that may lead to adaptive responses, such as the need to rest as a consequence of even minimal activity or seeking medical attention. The main outcome of the study will be measured using a new state-of-the-science validated HRQOL measure, the Patient Reported Outcome Measuring Information System for Heart Failure (PROMIS+HF 27).