Those who have gastric bypass surgery lose weight and lower cholesterol

 Carol Forsloff - People who have gastric bypass surgery often have it done to lose weight, but it can also help lower cholesterol  and improve the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good cholesterol) research has discovered.

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery will be presenting this new study at their annual meeting.  The study found that within six months of gastric bypass, nearly all of those with high cholesterol saw changes in cholesterol levels, many no longer needing drugs because they had normal test results.  They also found these same people six years later were able to stay off their medication.

“Patients with morbid obesity experience resolution of hyperlipidemia in a very short period of time following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, further reducing the risk of developing heart disease in this high-risk population,” said Mohammad Jamal, MD, lead study author and clinical assistant professor at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. “Bariatric surgery seems to give patients the jumpstart they need to maintain enough weight loss over the long term to keep hyperlipidemia at bay.”

The American Heart Association and the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines, tell us the benchmarks for cholesterol levels and what is desirable are lipid levels are below 200 mg/dL for total cholesterol, about 100 mg/dL for LDL cholesterol and less than 150 mg/dL for triglycerides. An HDL cholesterol level of 60 mg/dL and above is considered protective against heart disease.

Dr. Jamal added that more research is required to determine if factors other than weight loss, including possible hormonal changes, contribute to the resolution of hyperlipidemia.

People who are morbidly obese are generally 100 or more pounds overweight, have a BMI of 40 or more, or a BMI of 35 or more with an obesity-related disease, such as Type 2diabetes, heart disease or sleep apnea.

According to the ASMBS, more than 15 million Americans are considered morbidly obese and in 2009 an estimated 220,000 people had some form of bariatric surgery.