title: Short-term effects of weight loss on the cardiovascular risk factors in morbidly obese patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Obesity Unit, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Unviersity of Padova, Padova, Italy. luca.busetto@unipd.it
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Busetto
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sergi
authors.forename: Giuliano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Enzi
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Segato
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Marchi
authors.forename: Mirto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Foletto
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Luca
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pigozzo
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Favretti
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D002784:Cholesterol