Short-term effects of weight loss on the cardiovascular risk factors in morbidly obese patients.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the short-term effects of weight loss on the cardiovascular risk factors in morbidly obese patients.


METHODS
Five metabolic cardiovascular risk factors (blood glucose, blood pressure, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, and triglycerides) were determined before and 15.3 +/- 2.1 months after laparoscopic gastric banding in 650 morbidly obese patients. Global cardiovascular risk was calculated according to the Prospective Cardiovascular Münster (PROCAM) scoring system.


RESULTS
Mean weight loss was 22.7 +/- 20.4 kg. Normalization of the metabolic alteration was observed in 67.3% of patients with diabetes, 38.3% of patients with hypercholesterolemia, 72.5% of patients with low HDL-cholesterol, 72.3% of patients with hypertriglyceridemia, and 46.7% of patients with hypertension. PROCAM score fell from 31.4 +/- 11.6 to 28.0 +/- 12.0 points (p < 0.001). The modifications of total cholesterol and blood pressure were unrelated to percentage weight loss. Percentage weight loss was significantly related to the reductions of fasting blood glucose, triglyceride level, and the PROCAM score and to the increase of HDL-cholesterol concentrations observed after surgery. However, the strength of these four relationships was generally low. The variations of HDL-cholesterol concentrations and blood pressure levels were more influenced by actual energy balance than by the extent of weight loss.


CONCLUSIONS
Weight loss observed in the first 12 to 18 months after gastric banding was associated with a significant improvement of single cardiovascular risk factors and global risk. On the other hand, the extent of weight loss was poorly related to the magnitude of improvement in cardiovascular risk.
Busetto
Luca
L
Obesity Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Unviersity of Padova, Padova, Italy. luca.busetto@unipd.it
Sergi
Giuseppe
G
Enzi
Giuliano
G
Segato
Gianni
G
De Marchi
Francesco
F
Foletto
Mirto
M
De Luca
Maurizio
M
Pigozzo
Sabrina
S
Favretti
Franco
F
D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D015391:Gastroplasty; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D015431:Weight Loss
D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol