Weight loss and health outcomes in African Americans and whites after gastric bypass surgery.
OBJECTIVE
The objective was to describe differences in weight loss, dietary intake, and cardiovascular risk factors between white and African-American patients after gastric bypass (GBP).


METHODS
This was a retrospective database review of a sample of 84 adult patients (24 African-American and 60 white women and men) between the ages of 33 and 53 years. All subjects had GBP surgery in 2001 at the Bariatric Surgery Program at Boston Medical Center in Boston, MA, and were followed for one year postoperatively. Patients were excluded if weight data were missing at baseline, 3 months, or 1 year after GBP. A total of 9 African Americans and 41 whites provided data at all 3 time-points and were included in the study. Differences in weight loss, diet, and cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed.


RESULTS
There were no differences in baseline characteristics between African Americans and whites. Mean weight loss for the entire sample was 36 +/- 9%, with a range of 8% to 54% relative to initial body weight. Whites lost more weight (39 +/- 8%) than African Americans (26 +/- 10%) (p < 0.05). Dietary parameters, as well as improvements in blood pressure and lipid profiles, were similar in the two racial groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Differences in weight loss between severely obese African Americans and whites undergoing open GBP are unlikely to be related to postoperative dietary practices. Our data are consistent with previous reports implicating metabolic differences between the two racial groups.
Anderson
Wendy A
WA
Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA 02118, USA.
Greene
Geoffrey W
GW
Forse
R Armour
RA
Apovian
Caroline M
CM
Istfan
Nawfal W
NW
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D015390:Gastric Bypass; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000208:ethnology / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000208:ethnology*; D044465:White People