Weight loss benefits on HDL cholesterol persist even after weight regaining

• Published in: Surgical endoscopy Vol. 38; no. 6; pp. 3320 - 3328
• Main Authors: Genua, Idoia, Miñambres, Inka, Puig, Rocío, Sardà, Helena, Fernández-Ananin, Sonia, Sánchez-Quesada, José Luis, Pérez, Antonio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-06-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abdominal Surgery; Adult; Bariatric Surgery; Body Mass Index; Cholesterol; Cholesterol, HDL - blood; Female; Gastroenterology; Gastrointestinal surgery; Gynecology; Hepatology; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Obesity; Obesity, Morbid - blood; Obesity, Morbid - surgery; Proctology; Recurrence; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Weight control; Weight Gain; Weight Loss; Obesity; Weight regain; Bariatric surgery; HDL cholesterol
• ISSN: 0930-2794; 1432-2218; 1432-2218
• DOI: 10.1007/s00464-024-10826-7

Background
Obesity-related comorbidities may relapse in patients with weight regain after bariatric surgery. However, HDL cholesterol (HDLc) levels increase after surgery and seem to remain stable despite a gradual increase in BMI. The aim of this study is to analyze the effects of weight regain after bariatric surgery on HDL cholesterol.
Materials and methods
This is a retrospective, observational, cohort study in patients who underwent bariatric surgery in the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau (Barcelona) between 2007 and 2015. Patients without at least 5 years of follow-up after surgery, under fibrate treatment, and those who required revisional surgery were excluded from the analysis. Data were collected at baseline, 3 and 6 months after surgery, and then annually until 5 years post-surgery.
Results
One hundred fifty patients were analyzed. 93.3% of patients reached > 20% of total weight loss after surgery. At 5th year, 37% of patients had regained > 15% of nadir weight, 60% had regained > 10%, and 22% had regained < 5% of nadir weight. No differences were found in HDLc levels between the different groups of weight regain, nor in the % of change in HDLc levels between nadir weight and 5 years, or in the proportion of patients with normal HDLc concentrations either.
Conclusion
HDLc remains stable regardless of weight regain after bariatric surgery.
Graphical abstract