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The Positive Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Vascular Health
Fazal Dalal1, Monique Hassan2, Robert J Widmer3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple, Temple, USA.
Insights
Obesity is linked to poor vascular health and endothelial dysfunction. Weight loss through bariatric surgery significantly improved vascular health in obese patients, suggesting obesity is a key risk factor.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Metabolic Disorders
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Obesity is a prevalent condition associated with cardiovascular and pulmonary risks.
- The impact of obesity on vascular health remains understudied.
- Investigating obesity as a risk factor for vascular health is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the correlation between obesity and vascular health.
- To assess if obesity is a risk factor for vascular health.
- To evaluate the effect of weight loss on vascular health.
Main Methods:
- Pre- and post-bariatric surgery assessment at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center.
- Utilized WatchPAT and EndoPAT devices for data collection.
- Measured weight, respiratory indices, and endothelial dysfunction; analyzed with Wilcoxon non-parametric tests.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a significant correlation between obesity and endothelial dysfunction.
- Achieved significant weight reduction (31.2%) post-bariatric surgery.
- Observed significant improvement in endothelial function following weight loss (p < 0.04).
Conclusions:
- Obesity is correlated with poor vascular health and increased cardiovascular risk.
- Weight loss significantly reduces endothelial dysfunction in obese individuals.
- Obesity is identified as a significant risk factor for adverse vascular health outcomes.
Background:
Obesity is one of the most prevalent medical conditions in the Western world. There are many risk factors associated with obesity, including cardiovascular and pulmonary risk. Vascular health is not studied in obese patients, and whether obesity has an adverse effect on vascular health in these patients remains unknown.
Objective:
The first objective is to find a correlation between vascular health and obesity and whether obesity can be classified as a risk factor for vascular health. The second objective is to see if weight loss leads to an improvement in vascular health in patients.
Methods:
The study was conducted with pre- and post-surgical methods at Baylor Scott & White (BSWH) Medical Center, Temple, Texas, USA. Ten patients were approached, consented, and prepared to obtain baseline values through WatchPAT and EndoPAT devices prior to their bariatric surgery. Values obtained include their initial weight, respiratory disturbance index, apnea-hypopnea index, oxygen desaturation index, and degree of endothelial dysfunction via the EndoPAT device. Post-surgery, these values were obtained again and compared using Wilcoxon non-parametric analyses with a level of significance at p < 0.05.
Results:
Our study results demonstrate a correlation between obesity and vascular health as endothelial dysfunction is widely seen. In our patients, after bariatric surgery, we saw a significant weight change (31.2% +11.2, p < 0.0001). There was a significant degree of endothelial function improvement after the weight loss (31.2% +34.7, p < 0.04).
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that there is a correlation between obesity and vascular health, which also correlates with cardiovascular risk. There is a significant reduction in endothelial dysfunction after weight loss. We believe that obesity is a risk factor for vascular health outcomes.
