Long-term changes in lipid indices following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Metabolic Surgery
• Cardiovascular Health
• Lipid Metabolism

Background:

• Bariatric surgery, including Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), is effective for long-term weight loss.
• It significantly improves obesity-related comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and meta-analyze the impact of RYGB surgery on lipid profiles.
• To evaluate long-term changes in serum lipids at least 5 years post-surgery.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Scholar databases.
• Inclusion of 38 studies reporting lipid profile data at ≥5 years follow-up post-RYGB.
• Data extraction and risk of bias assessment by two independent reviewers.

Main Results:

• RYGB demonstrated significant reductions in total cholesterol (mean difference [MD]: -17.95 mg/dl) and LDL cholesterol (MD: -18.55 mg/dl).
• Significant decreases in triglycerides (MD: -60.76 mg/dl) and a significant increase in HDL cholesterol (MD: 13.75 mg/dl) were observed.
• These lipid profile improvements were statistically significant (p < 0.001) with high heterogeneity.

Conclusions:

• RYGB surgery is associated with clinically significant and substantial improvements in serum lipid profiles.
• These positive effects on lipid metabolism persist for 5 years or more post-operation.