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Weight loss surgery reduces cardiovascular disease risk

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Individuals who have received dangerously high cholesterol test results may benefit from weight loss surgery to improve their heart health. A new study has found that these procedures may provide significant positive heart health effects for obese individuals.

Bariatric surgery, such as gastric bypass, has been shown to be an effective way to help these individuals shed excess pounds. However, little was known about the impact these procedures have an individual's cholesterol test scores, blood pressure readings and overall heart health.

Researchers from the University of California, Davis administered cholesterol tests and other measures of cardiovascular disease risk to 19 obese females before and after they underwent gastric bypass surgery.

The results showed that women had significantly higher levels of HDL or "good cholesterol" following the surgery, which has been linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. They also had healthier body mass indexes, a measure that has been associated with diabetes risk.

Gastric bypass surgery makes the stomach smaller through the use of staples or plastic bands, which helps individuals feel more full after eating smaller portions and limits their caloric intake.