Study: Gastric bypass offers cardiovascular benefits regardless of weight loss

Editor's Note

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) reduces cardiovascular risk factors independent of calorie restriction and weight loss, according to a recent study published in JAMA Surgery.

News-Medical.Net reported on the study July 4. Bariatric surgery, particularly RYGB, is more effective than non-surgical treatments for significant weight reduction and lowering cardiovascular risks, the article notes. However, it remains unclear whether these benefits stem from the surgery itself, calorie restriction, or resultant weight loss.  

Conducted as part of the Impact of Body Weight, Low-Calorie Diet, and Gastric Bypass on Drug Bioavailability, Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Metabolic Biomarkers (COCKTAIL) trial, the study took place at a tertiary care clinic in Norway. Seventy-eight participants with severe obesity followed a three-week low-energy diet (LED, less than 1,200 kcal/day) before continuing either a six-week very low-energy diet (VLED) regimen (less than 800 kcal/day) or six weeks of VLED following RYGB surgery, News-Medical.Net reports. Researchers periodically assessed changes in cardiovascular risk factors such as body mass index (BMI), total body fat, waist-hip circumference, insulin sensitivity, fasting glucose, blood lipids, blood pressure, and cardiometabolic biomarkers.

Results show that RYGB significantly reduced primary atherogenic lipids, including LDL and apolipoprotein B, more effectively than VLED despite similar fat mass loss, News-Medical.Net reports. Both groups saw improvements in HbA1c, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure. Researchers conclude that RYGB can independently reduce cardiovascular risk factors, particularly primary atherogenic lipids, beyond the effects of weight loss alone.