Bariatric surgery is a highly effective weight loss treatment, but one of the unintended side effects of these procedures is high-turnover bone loss and metabolic bone disease. Denosumab is a monoclonal antibody to RANKL that acts as a potent inhibitor of bone resorption. The investigators are conducting a randomized placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the ability of denosumab to prevent bone loss after RYGB or SG surgery in older adults. At the conclusion of the study, all participants will be given zoledronic acid.
Bariatric surgery leads to bone loss and increases fracture risk. This study evaluates whether denosumab can prevent the high-turnover bone loss that occurs after Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) surgery.