Cardiovascular Risk Factors Following Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy in Black Americans Compared with White Americans

Area of Science:

• Bariatric Surgery
• Cardiovascular Health
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Obesity disproportionately affects Black Americans (BA), leading to greater comorbidity burden compared to White Americans (WA).
• Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) is a common bariatric surgery for obesity management.
• Understanding racial disparities in SG outcomes is crucial for equitable care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify cardiovascular and lipid outcomes after SG.
• To investigate racial disparities in these outcomes between BA and WA.
• To assess the impact of SG on obesity comorbidities in diverse populations.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of de-identified electronic medical records from patients undergoing SG.
• Comparison of baseline characteristics and post-operative outcomes between BA and WA.
• Statistical analysis of body weight, blood pressure, and lipid profiles.

Main Results:

• BA had higher baseline body weight, BMI, and blood pressure than WA.
• WA experienced significantly greater reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure post-SG compared to BA.
• No significant racial differences were observed in changes to cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
• The disparity in blood pressure reduction between racial groups was mitigated when normalized to weight loss.

Conclusions:

• Black Americans tend to achieve less weight loss following sleeve gastrectomy compared to White Americans.
• Despite differences in weight loss, the improvement in blood pressure is similarly associated with excess weight loss in both racial groups.
• These findings highlight the need for tailored approaches to optimize bariatric surgery outcomes across different racial demographics.