Vitamin D and the Metabolic Phenotype in Weight Loss After Bariatric Surgery: A Longitudinal Study

To evaluate the influence of vitamin D (VD) concentrations coupled with metabolic phenotypes preoperatively and 6 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) on body variables and weight loss.

A longitudinal, retrospective, analytical study comprising 30 adult individuals assessed preoperatively (T0) and 6 months (T1) after undergoing Roux-en-Y gastric bypass. The participants were distributed preoperatively into metabolically healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically unhealthy obese individuals (MUHO) according to the HOMA-IR classification, as well as the adequacy and inadequacy of vitamin D concentrations in the form of 25(OH)D. All participants were assessed for weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), visceral adiposity index (VAI), body circularity index (BCI), body adiposity index (BAI), weight loss, and assessment of 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography with an ultraviolet detector (HPLC-UV). The statistical program used was SPSS version 21.

VD adequacy and a healthy phenotype in the preoperative period may play an important role concerning body fat distribution, as the body averages for WHtR (0.020*) and BCI (0.020*) were lower in MHO participants. In comparison, those with VD inadequacy and MUHOs had higher BAI averages (0.000*) in the postoperative period. Furthermore, it is possible that VD inadequacy before and after RYGB, even in the presence of an unhealthy phenotype, may contribute to the increase in VAI values (0.029*) after this surgery. Only those with inadequate VD and MUHOs had higher 25(OH)D concentrations. Besides, this unhealthy phenotype had a greater reduction in BMI in the early postoperative period (p < 0.001).

This study suggests that VD adequacy and the presence of a healthy phenotype appear to have a positive impact on the reduction of visceral fat in the context of pre- and postoperative obesity. In addition, there was a greater weight reduction in those with VD inadequacy and in MUHO, which suggests that the volumetric dilution effect of VD and catabolism after bariatric surgery is more pronounced in this specific metabolic phenotype.