Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30385445›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2018

Effect of physical exercise on weight loss and physical function following bariatric surgery: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Zi-Qi Ren, Guang-Dong Lu, Tian-Zi Zhang, Qin Xu

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 33 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
33citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
5.4field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

33 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 52 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Guideline
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  7. Effect of exercise training before and after bariatric surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2021
    Pooled it
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  9. Trial
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  18. Exercise training in metabolic and bariatric surgery: An overview of systematic reviews.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025
    Review
  19. Gastric sleeve and gastric bypass: changes in weight after two-year follow-up - which is more effective?Arquivos brasileiros de cirurgia digestiva : ABCD = Brazilian archives of digestive surgery · 2025
    Article
  20. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Zi-Qi RenSchool of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Guang-Dong LuDepartment of Interventional Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Tian-Zi ZhangSchool of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Qin XuSchool of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Nanjing Medical University · CNJiangsu Province Hospital · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesWe performed a meta-analysis of all of the available randomised controlled trials (RCTs) to investigate whether physical exercise contributes to weight loss or physical function improvement in adults receiving bariatric surgery.

methodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, OVID and the CINAHL up through May 2018. RCTs that assigned adults with obesity to either an exercise training group or a no-exercise group after bariatric surgery were included. The primary outcomes were weight loss and physical function. Study bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the quality of evidence was assessed using GRADEpro.

resultsA total of eight studies met the inclusion criteria (n=347 participants). Most of the studies carried a low risk of bias due to randomisation and blinding. Compared with those without exercise intervention after surgery, patients engaging in physical exercise were associated with greater weight loss (weighted mean difference (WMD) -1.94 kg; 95% CI -3.18 to -0.69; n=8) and longer 6 min walk distance (6MWD; WMD29.67 m; 95% CI 25.97 to 33.37; n=2) during follow-up. By subgroup analyses, the additional weight loss in exercise group was related to the starting time and type of exercise: patients engaging in exercise 1 year or more after surgery and patients received aerobic-resistance exercise experienced more weight loss. Besides, patients in exercise training group also had lower systolic blood pressure and resting heart rate after surgery. The quality of evidence for these outcomes was moderate to very low.

conclusionsPhysical exercise after bariatric surgery provides 1.94 kg additional weight loss and 29.67 m longer 6MWD compared with surgery alone. Moreover, engaging in exercise 1 year or more after surgery, and a combined aerobic and resistance training programme may result in greater weight loss.

Indexed as

Activities of Daily LivingBariatric SurgeryExerciseWeight LossAdultHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as Topicbariatric surgeryexerciseobesityphysical functionweight loss

Identifiers

PMID30385445
PMCPMC6252776
OpenAlexW2899205641

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.