Impact of bariatric surgery on the cardiometabolic risk of patients with obesity. A prospective and comparative study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery on cardiometabolic risk in patients with obesity undergoing laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass. Methods: A prospective, comparative study was conducted in patients who underwent surgery at Dr. Miguel Pérez Carreño Hospital between January 2023 and June 2024. Patients over 18 years of age with a diagnosis of obesity and cardiometabolic comorbidities who underwent bariatric surgery were included. Anthropometric variables and both cardiometabolic and inflammatory markers were assessed, including LDL, HDL, C-reactive protein (CRP), visceral fat, and carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), before and after surgery, with follow-up evaluations at 3, 6, and 12 months. Statistical analysis was performed using comparison of means, considering statistical significance at p < 0.05. Results: The sample consisted of 22 patients, 14 who underwent sleeve gastrectomy and 8 who underwent gastric bypass, with a predominance of females (81.8%) and a mean age of 39.4 years. In the preoperative period, no statistically significant differences were observed between groups in terms of anthropometric or cardiometabolic parameters. Postoperatively, a significant improvement in anthropometric parameters and cardiometabolic indicators was observed during the 12-month follow-up, with no statistically significant differences between the two surgical procedures. Conclusion: Bariatric surgery is associated with improvement in cardiometabolic and inflammatory parameters in patients with obesity. Both sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass represent effective alternatives, with no significant superiority between techniques in this study.