Alcohol use disorders after bariatric surgery: a study using linked health claims and survey data.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have repeatedly reported alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in patients after bariatric surgery (BS). This research field can benefit from studies combining health claims data with survey data. METHODS: Based on a combined retrospective cohort and cross-sectional study, 2151 patients with BS identified in a large health claims database received a questionnaire, by which we assessed the presence of AUDs based on a validated instrument (AUDIT) as well as by ICD-10 codes from the health claims data. We described patients with vs. without AUDs regarding sex, time since surgery, satisfaction with weight loss and health care resource utilization (HCRU). RESULTS: The majority of patients were female (80.7%) with a median time since surgery of 6 years (Interquartile range: 4-9 years). For the majority of patients, the bariatric intervention was either a RYGB-Bypass (50%) or sleeve gastrectomy (43%). Overall, 3% had at least one AUD diagnosis code in the claims data (men: 5.5%, women: 2.5%). Among men, 43.6% of diagnoses were coded after but not before the surgery (women: 52%). According to AUDIT (completed by 1496 patients), 9.4% of all patients showed at least hazardous/harmful alcohol consumption. Higher scores were associated with sex of the person, longer time since surgery, dissatisfaction with the weight loss and higher HCRU, with contradicting results regarding psychotherapeutic care. CONCLUSIONS: The proportion with AUDs in the study population gives rise to concern as alcohol consumption should be restricted after BS. The results suggest the necessity for close monitoring and post-surgical care.

The PornLoS Treatment Program: Study protocol of a new psychotherapeutic approach for treating pornography use disorder.

Background: The introduction of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) into the 11th International Classification of Diseases has raised expectations for better treatment options for CSBD. Furthermore, the treatment demand has increased, particularly for pornography use disorder (PUD), a subtype of CSBD. Presumably due to the easy access to Internet pornography an increasing prevalence of PUD is observed. Consequently, providing tailored and effective treatment is essential. Methods: This article provides an overview of the manualized short-term PornLoS Treatment Program (Pornografienutzungsstörung effektiv behandeln- Leben ohne Suchtdruck; translation: Treating pornography use disorder effectively - life without craving). The program combines 24 individual and 6 group psychotherapy sessions with an interdisciplinary approach by offering a novel treatment framework. This includes, e.g., a mobile app, establishment of self-help groups, and access to other social services such as couple counseling. The cognitive-behavioral treatment program contains interventions addressing psychoeducation, cue exposure, impulse control, cognitive restructuring, emotional regulation, and relapse management.We here also describe the study protocol of an ongoing four-arm randomized controlled trial. The aim is to test two variants of the PornLoS Treatment Program differing with respect to their treatment goal (abstinence or reduced pornography use) against cognitive-behavioral treatment as usual and against a waitlist control group. The primary outcome is the absence of a PUD diagnosis at the end of therapy. The total target sample size will comprise n = 316 patients with PUD across eight study sites. Results: The results will be presented at international conferences and published in a scientific peer-reviewed journal.

Quality of life in bariatric patients up to twelve years after surgery - Results from a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric interventions (BI, including surgical interventions) are effective in patients with massive obesity, i.e., a body mass index (BMI) > 40, and their number has steadily increased during the past decade. Yet, the stability of improvements in quality of life (QoL) in post-interventional patients is understudied and restricted to studies with small samples and short follow-ups. METHODS: Patients with BI between 2004 and 2018 were identified in a health claims database and invited to fill in a survey, comprising sociodemographic and lifestyle information and psychometric scales. QoL was assessed with the Bariatric QoL (BQL) scale with lower scores denoting worse QoL. BMI and excess weight loss (EWL) were calculated for the time soon after intervention (EWL-T1) and when filling the survey (EWL-T2). RESULTS: The majority of n = 2151 patients were female (80.7 %), had a mean age of 54.5 years and a mean BMI of 34.8. The mean EWL-T1 was 79 % (EWL-T2: 64.6 %). The mean BQL score was 47.6 and decreased with BMI (18.5-24.9: 52.6 vs. >40: 38.7), EWL-T2 (>66 %: 51.3 vs. <65 %: 42.1) and years since intervention (3-4: 48.2 vs >8: 45.1, each p < .001). For EWL-T1, the association between higher EWLs and higher BQL scores was stronger in females than in males (p < .005); for EWL at T2, both sexes did not differ in this regard (p = .848). Among normal-weight persons, males scored significantly lower on the BQL than females (44.9 vs. 54.9). CONCLUSIONS: Post-interventional QoL improvements diminish over time and depend on the weight loss, with significant differences between men and women.