Serum cholesterol by morbidly obese patients after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and additional physical activity

Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has shown to be effective in serum triglycerides reduction and HDL cholesterol increase, but with little effect on total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Physical activity is recognized as an effective non-pharmacological intervention to reduce body fat mass and hypercholesterolemia.

A prospective observational study of all the patients undergoing LSG as bariatric technique between 2007 and 2012 was performed. All patients completed the Spanish Version of the Modifiable Physical Activity Questionnaire at two time points: baseline (pre-intervention) and 1 year after surgery, both in face-to-face interviews. Lipid profiles were monitored at the same time points.

A total of 50 patients were included in the study, 44 females (88 %) and six males (12 %) with a mean age of 42.7 ± 10.3 years. Comorbidities included dyslipidemia in 50 % (40 % hypercholesterolemia and 10 % hypertriglyceridemia). Preoperatively, four patients (8 %) reported moderately active physical activity and one patient (2 %) active physical exercise. The rest of the patients were sedentary. One year after surgery, 30 patients (60 %) performed any kind of active physical activity, while the rest were sedentary. Lipid profile 12 months after surgery showed significantly lower total cholesterol levels in the active group (182.8 mg/dl vs 220 mg/dl in the sedentary group; p = 0.003). LDL cholesterol levels were also lower in the active group (103.2 vs 133 mg/dl in the sedentary group; p = 0.015).

The performance of routine moderate physical activity in addition to LSG achieves a significant improvement in all parameters of the lipid profile.