Aspirin responsiveness changes in obese patients following bariatric surgery

Bariatric surgery has emerged as a promising treatment option for weight loss and to counter the metabolic consequences of obesity. Obesity has been linked to a hyperaggregable state, as well as a blunted response to aspirin. This pilot study assessed the hypothesis that bariatric surgery would lead to an improvement in aspirin-induced platelet inhibition and a reduction in platelet aggregability.

Fifteen patients scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery were administered two 7-day courses of aspirin 81 mg: the first course administered before surgery and the second was 3 months following surgery. Platelet aggregation was measured before and after each aspirin course using VerifyNow-Aspirin. The primary endpoint was the change in on-treatment aspirin reactive units (ARU) pre- and postsurgery. Data from bariatric surgery study patients were compared to data of normal weighted subjects gathered in a previous study.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass was performed in 80%, and 20% underwent sleeve gastrectomy. The mean starting body mass index (BMI) was 46.9 kg/m² . Patients lost on average 24.5 kg, resulting in a postsurgical BMI of 38.5 kg/m² . Postbariatric surgery, off-treatment ARU was significantly reduced from presurgery levels (602±59 vs 531±78; P=.035). On-aspirin platelet reactivity was also significantly reduced following surgery (469±60 vs 432±143, P=.03). There was a significant correlation between the extent of weight loss and the degree of improvement in on-aspirin platelet reactivity (r² =.49, P=.024). Presurgery on-aspirin platelet reactivity was significantly higher in obese patients compared to normal weighted subjects (469±60 vs 419±52; P=.016) and reduced to the baseline after the surgery (432±63 vs 419±52; P=.54).

Aspirin-induced platelet inhibition may be more potent following bariatric surgery. The mechanisms behind this improvement require further investigation.