Bariatric surgery as a treatment for metabolic syndrome

Obesity is the pandemic of the 21st century. Obesity comorbidities, including hypertension, dyslipidaemia and glucose intolerance define metabolic syndrome, which increases mortality risk and decreases the quality of life. Compared with lifestyles (diet and physical activity) and pharmacological interventions, bariatric surgery is by far the most effective treatment for obesity and its comorbidities. This minimally invasive surgical treatment is based on an increase of satiety (by hormonal regulation and decreasing stomach volume) or a decrease in nutrient retention (gastric and/or intestinal resection). Bariatric surgery has widely demonstrated a beneficial effect on excess body weight loss, cardiovascular risk, dyslipidaemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or glucose homeostasis, among other obesity-related metabolic diseases. This review describes current efforts for the implementation of bariatric surgery in metabolic syndrome, which are mainly focused on the formulation of key definition criteria for targeting the most suitable population for this therapeutic approach. Patients should undergo appropriate nutritional and psychological follow up in order to achieve and maintain weight loss milestones and a healthy metabolic status.