Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy Significantly Increases Serum Lipoprotein Lipase Level in Obese Patients

Obesity is one of the causes of metabolic disorders. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) confers beneficial effects not only on body weight (BW) but also on metabolic disorders. The lipoprotein lipase (LPL) level in preheparin serum is associated with visceral adipose tissue and reflects insulin resistance. However, the change in serum preheparin LPL levels after LSG remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the effect of LSG on preheparin LPL level in obese patients compared with nonsurgical treatment.

We retrospectively reviewed a total of 100 obese patients who were treated for obesity and had preheparin LPL levels measured before and 12 months after LSG or after 12 months of nonsurgical treatment. Fifty-six patients received LSG (LSG group), and 44 patients had no surgical treatment (nonsurgical group). We compared clinical parameters such as body mass index (BMI), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and preheparin LPL level before and 12 months after treatment.

BMI and HbA1c decreased significantly in both groups, but decreases in both parameters were greater in the LSG group than in the nonsurgical group. Estimated glomerular filtration was significantly improved only in the LSG group. Preheparin LPL level increased significantly only in the LSG group (from 45.8 ± 21.6 to 75.0 ± 34.9 ng/mL, p < 0.001). Multiple regression identified LSG and decreased BMI as independent predictors of preheparin LPL level increase.

These results suggest that LSG independently increases pre-heparin LPL level beyond BW reduction in obese patients.