People who have obesity operations, such as gastric bypasses or banding, double their risk of suffering fractures, US research suggests.

Researchers for the Mayo Clinic in the US reviewed nearly 100 surgical cases spanning 21 years for their study.

They found a fifth of patients suffered fractures - twice the rate typical for their age - with most breaks occurring in the bones of the hands and feet.

The findings will be presented at the Endocrine Society Annual Meeting.

In the study, 21 individuals experienced 31 fractures within an average of seven years after their weight loss or bariatric surgery.

While most breaks were in the hands and feet, fractures of the hip, spine and upper arm bone - the humerus - were also reported.

Experts already know that there is extensive bone turnover and loss of bone density after bariatric surgery, but it was unclear whether that translated to fractures.

Lead author Dr Elizabeth Haglind said: "We've shown that risk of fractures after this type of weight-loss surgery is clinically significant.

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