Very obese older men hoping to live longer may be let down by a new long-term study that found weight-loss surgery didnt increase survival for people like them–at least during the first seven years.

Prior studies have found stomach stapling and other obesity surgeries improved survival rates after two to 10 years. The new study in mostly older male veterans suggests one of two things: Not everyone gains equally from surgery, or a survival benefit may show up later in older men, after more years of follow-up.

Obesity surgery fails to extend life in older men