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Background: Metabolic surgery is the foremost treatment for obesity and its associated medical conditions. Nonetheless, post-bariatric hypoglycemia (PBH) emerges as a prevalent complication. PBH pathophysiology implicates heightened insulin and glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) levels, with bile acids (BA) contributing to GLP-1 release. A plausible association exists between cholecystectomy and PBH, which is attributed to alterations in BA metabolism and ensuing hormonal responses. The objective of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the impact of cholecystectomy on PBH pharmacological treatment, diagnostic timelines and metabolic parameters., Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with PBH after bariatric surgery were evaluated based on their history of cholecystectomy. Demographic, anthropometric and clinical data were collected. Mixed meal tolerance tests (MMTT) results were compiled to assess metabolic responses., Results: Of the 131 patients with PBH included in the study, 29 had prior cholecystectomy. The time to PBH diagnosis was similar across groups. Patients with prior cholecystectomy required higher doses of acarbose (p = 0.046), compared to those without prior cholecystectomy. Additionally, MMTT revealed higher insulin (t = 60 min: p = 0.010 and t = 90 min: p = 0.034) and c-peptide levels (t = 60 min: p = 0.008) and greater glycemic variability in patients with prior cholecystectomy (p = 0.049), highlighting the impact of cholecystectomy on glucose metabolism., Conclusion: Our study offers novel insights into PBH pharmacotherapy, indicating that PBH patients with a history of cholecystectomy require elevated doses of acarbose for symptom control than PBH patients without such surgical history. Furthermore, our findings underscore the pivotal role of hyperinsulinism in PBH aetiology, emphasizing the significance of the BA-GLP-1-insulin axis., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Sarcopenic obesity (SO) is characterised by the confluence of muscle deterioration and high adiposity. When non-surgical interventions prove insufficient, bariatric surgery (BS) becomes the primary approach. This study aimed to address BS effects on SO outcomes 1 year post-surgery among middle-aged women, also considering physical exercise's impact., Methods: Prospective single-centre study of 140 patients who underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy between November 2019 and December 2022. Participants were categorised into tertiles according to SO's diagnosis and severity (group 1-patients with the most severe SO; group 2-intermediate; group 3-the least severe or without SO), calculated considering the consensus issued by ESPEN and EASO in 2022. Evaluations of clinical and biochemical parameters were conducted before and 12 months after BS, and the variation was used for comparative purposes. Body composition was assessed using bone density scans. Linear regression analysis accounted for both surgery type and baseline body mass index (BMI)., Results: Before BS, SO prevalence in the overall sample was 89.3%, decreasing to 2.9% after BS. Group 1 had more body fat mass (56.9 vs 54.8 vs 50.7 kg, p < 0.001), total, trunk and leg fat at baseline and a significantly lower total skeletal muscle mass (47.2 vs 49.4 vs 51.8 kg, p < 0.001). One year post-BS, group 1 presented more weight loss (- 39.8 ± 11.4 kg, p = 0.031), BMI reduction (- 15.9 ± 4.6 kg/m 2 , p = 0.005) and lost more fat mass (- 32.6 vs - 30.5 vs - 27.9 kg, p = 0.005), but not total skeletal muscle mass (- 5.8 vs - 5.9 vs - 6.8 kg, p = 0.130). Remission rates for comorbidities were substantial among all groups, but more marked among patients within group 1 (type 2 diabetes mellitus 75%, hypertension 47.1% and dyslipidemia 52.8%). Engagement in physical exercise of any kind has increased post-BS (33.1% vs 79.1%)., Conclusion: Despite concerns about malabsorptive mechanisms potentially worsening muscle loss, patients with the most severe SO undergoing BS lost more fat mass while experiencing the smallest reduction in total skeletal muscle mass. Remission rates for comorbidities following BS were notable among all groups., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Obesity is a significant risk factor for cancer incidence and mortality. The number of patients with obesity who undergo bariatric surgery is increasing; however, the impact of such a procedure in affecting the risk of cancer is not completely understood yet., Methods: We conducted a retrospective unicentric cohort study to characterize the occurrence of cancer in patients who underwent bariatric surgery from January 2010 to December 2018. For cases of cancer identified after bariatric surgery, we performed a cancer-free survival analysis over time. We also performed a cross-sectional analysis of demographic and clinical characteristics at the time of surgery and compared patients with or without a cancer diagnosis., Results: Of the 2578 patients who underwent bariatric surgery, 117 patients (4.5%) were diagnosed with a cancer. Fifty-nine cases were diagnosed before surgery, and the remaining 58 cases occurred after the bariatric procedure. The prevalence of cancer was more accentuated in women (4.9%) than among men (2.7%). Thyroid and breast cancer were the most frequent before and after bariatric surgery, respectively. On average, patients with cancer diagnosis were older (49.0 vs 43.3 years, p<0.001) and with a lower level of education (7.4 vs 8.6 school years, p=0.002)., Conclusion: Almost all the cases of cancer identified in this study were obesity-related cancers. Further prospective studies are needed to extend the current knowledge regarding the cancer risk profile of patients who undergo bariatric surgery., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Bariatric surgery (BS) is the most effective therapeutic approach to obesity. It is associated with great gastrointestinal anatomic changes, predisposing the patients to altered nutrient absorption that impacts phosphocalcium metabolism. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) and its predictors in patients submitted to BS., Methods: Retrospective study of 1431 patients who underwent metabolic surgery between January 2010 and June 2017 and who were followed for at least 1 year. We compared the clinical and biochemical characteristics of patients with and without secondary hyperparathyroidism (considering SHPT a PTH ˃ 69 pg/mL). Two different analyses were performed: (1) paired analysis of participants before and 1 year after surgery (N = 441); (2) Cross sectional analysis of participants submitted to bariatric surgery before (N = 441), 1 year after (N = 1431) and 4 years after surgery (N = 333). Multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate possible predictors of SHPT after BS., Results: The overall prevalence of SHPT was 24.9% before surgery, 11.2% 1 year after surgery and 21.3% 4 years after surgery. Patients submitted to LAGB had the highest prevalence of SHPT 1 year after surgery (19.4%; vs RYGB, 12.8%, vs SG, 5.3%). Four years after surgery, RYGB had the highest prevalence of SHPT (27.0%), followed by LAGB (13.2%) and SG (6.9%). Higher body mass index and age, decreased levels of vitamin D and RYGB seem to be independent predictors of SHPT 1 year after surgery. The only independent predictor of SHPT 4 years after surgery was RYGB., Conclusion: The prevalence of SHPT is higher before and 4 years after BS than 1 year after surgery. This fact raises some questions about the efficacy of the implemented follow-up plans of vitamin D supplementation on the long term, mainly among patients submitted to RYGB., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: Anemia in obese patients is common and multifactorial and is also a complication of bariatric surgery. The aim of this study is to establish which variables are associated with a higher prevalence of post-bariatric surgery anemia., Methods: Retrospective cohort study involving 1999 patients submitted to bariatric surgery with a follow-up period of 4 years. Anthropometric, laboratorial parameters and the presence of comorbidities were evaluated before surgery and during follow-up. Patients were divided into two groups, according to whether they developed anemia, or not. Groups were compared using independent sample T-tests or Chi-squared tests, as appropriate. Univariate binary logistic regression models were used to test the association between the diagnosis of anemia during follow-up and all the possible explanatory variables. Independent variables with an association with the outcome (p < 0.1) were included in multivariate binary logistic regression models, as well as possible confounders (age, BMI, and supplementation)., Results: Anemia was diagnosed in 24.4% of the patients. Females present a two-fold increased risk of developing anemia (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.48-3.01, p < 0.001). Patients subjected to gastric sleeve and gastric band surgery present approximately half the risk of anemia when compared with gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) (OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.35-0.59, p < 0.001; OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.36-0.72, p < 0.001). None of the other variables evaluated showed association with the outcome., Conclusion: In our study, the only factors associated with an increased risk of developing anemia were female gender and RYBG surgery. Prospective studies evaluating the risk factors for anemia in patients undergoing bariatric surgery are needed.

Purpose: To evaluate the variation in parameters of hepatic function and in the scores Fatty Liver Index (FLI; predictor of hepatic steatosis) and BARD (BMI, AST/ALT ratio and DM, predictor of hepatic fibrosis), 1 year after bariatric surgery., Material and Methods: This is a observational retrospective cohort study in patients with morbid obesity that underwent bariatric surgery in our centre. We used two linear regression models: (1) unadjusted and (2) adjusted for surgery type, sex, age, body mass index, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia., Results: The included population (n = 1955) had an average age of 43.1 ± 10 years and 85.8% were female. Diabetes was present in 32.4% of the patients, 45.1% had dyslipidaemia, and 62.2% had hypertension. Twelve percent were submitted to gastric band, 29.6% to sleeve gastrectomy, and 58.4% to gastric bypass. We observed a relevant decrease in transaminases and gamma-glutamyltransferase, and an increase in alkaline phosphatase and total bilirubin. Both FLI and BARD markedly decrease 1 year after surgery (p < 0.01). Comparing the surgical procedures, sleeve gastrectomy was associated with a greater reduction of hepatic enzymes and of both FLI and BARD compared with gastric band. Comparing with gastric bypass, sleeve was associated with a greater reduction of transaminases and alkaline phosphatase, but a smaller reduction of FLI and BARD., Conclusion: Bariatric surgery is associated with a reduction of the hepatic enzymes and an improvement of FLI and BARD. It may represent an effective therapeutic approach for NAFLD.

Background: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and parathormone (PTH) have an inverse relation. The 25(OH)D threshold required to maximally suppress PTH has been used as a marker of optimal vitamin D status. Obesity is associated with lower serum levels of 25(OH)D and higher levels of PTH; however, the relation between these hormones in this setting is not well established. We aimed to assess the influence of excessive weight and weight loss after bariatric surgery on the relation between serum 25(OH)D and PTH., Methods: Anthropometric and analytical parameters of phospho-calcium metabolism from 290 patients undergoing bariatric surgery were analyzed. The association between 25(OH)D and PTH before and 1 year after surgery was evaluated through Student's t test and simple and multivariable linear regression., Results: At baseline, there was an inverse association between 25(OH)D and PTH plasma levels (β = - 0.571; p = 0.001). The threshold for a significant increase of PTH at baseline was a 25(OH)D level of < 10 ng/mL (p < 0.001). At 1 year after surgery (n = 194), the association between the two variables was weaker (β = - 0.291; p = 0.014). The 25(OH)D threshold for a significant increase in serum PTH levels was lower in patients who maintained obesity (n = 77) [25(OH)D 5 vs 10 ng/mL]., Conclusions: PTH suppression threshold observed in patients with morbid obesity before and after bariatric surgery is lower than that described for the general population, suggesting that the 25(OH)D plasma levels may not be representative of the body's vitamin D reserves. Other studies are required to demonstrate which optimal vitamin D levels need to be aimed for in obesity, in order to improve obese patients' bone health.

Background: Super obesity (BMI ≥ 50 kg/m 2 ) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The best procedure to treat super obesity is not completely established. Our aim was to compare the effectiveness of bariatric procedures (adjustable gastric band [AGB], Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB], sleeve gastrectomy [SG]) in super obesity., Methods: Retrospective observational study of super obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery. Data was assessed preoperatively and in the 1st and 2nd years of follow-up., Results: We evaluated 213 individuals, 77.9% female, age of 43.38 ± 11.49 years, and preoperative BMI of 54.53 ± 4.54 kg/m 2 ; 19 submitted to AGB, 127 to RYGB, and 67 to SG. In the pre-surgical assessment, there were no significant differences in age, anthropometric parameters, blood pressure, glycemic profile, and lipid profile between the three surgical groups. The percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL) in the 1st year was 67.58% in RYGB, 58.74% in SG, and 38.71% in AGB (p < 0.001), and the percentage of total weight loss (%TWL) was 36.29%, 31.59%, and 21.07%, respectively (p < 0.001). Two years after surgery (n = 147; follow-up rate of 69%), the %EWL and %TWL were significantly higher in the RYGB group (p < 0.001). RYGB had a higher success rate (%EWL ≥ 50% and %TWL ≥ 20%) in both years of follow-up (p < 0.001). In multiple linear regression, after adjusting for other covariates, RYGB was the only strong predictive factor of %EWL and %TWL (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: RYGB proved to be more effective in super obesity. The beneficial effects in weight loss were evident both 1 and 2 years after the procedure, regardless of pre-surgical anthropometric characteristics.

Background: Obesity is an independent risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Our aims were: (1) to evaluate the impact of bariatric surgery (BS) on kidney function, (2) clarify the factors determining postoperative evolution of glomerular filtration rate (ΔGFR) and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ΔUACR), and (3) access the occurrence of oxalate-mediated renal complications., Methods: We investigated a cohort of 1448 obese patients who underwent BS. Those with baseline-estimated GFR (eGFR0) < 30 mL/min or without information about the 2-year post-surgical eGFR (eGFR2) were excluded., Results: A total of 725 patients were included. At baseline, 38(5.2%) had hyperfiltration with eGFR0 ≥ 125 mL/min/1.73m 2 (G0), 492 (67.9%) had eGFR0 90-124 mL/min/1.73m 2 (G1), 178 (24.6%) had eGFR0 60-89 mL/min/1.73m 2 (G2), and 17 (2.3%) had eGFR0 < 60 mL/min/1.73m 2 (G3). ΔGFR significantly increased in 96.6% (ΔGFR = 23.8 (IQR 15.9-29.8)) and 82.4% (ΔGFR = 18.6 (IQR 3.6-44.0)) of the subjects with G2 and G3 CKD, respectively (p < 0.001). The variables independently associated with ΔGFR were baseline body mass index (BMI) (positively), high blood pressure (HBP) (negatively), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) (negatively), as well as FPG variation (positively). An overall prevalence of high UACR (≥ 30 mg/g -1 ) of 17.9% was found, with 81.5% of these subjects presenting A2(30-300 mg/g -1 ) and 18.5% A3(> 300 mg/g -1 ) UACR. UACR significantly decreased after BS (p < 0.001). Significant predictors of ΔUACR were BMI, systolic blood pressure, and HbA1c. Urinary excretion of calcium oxalate crystals was found in 77(11.1%) patients, with only 1 presenting oxalate-mediated renal complications., Conclusions: ΔGFR seems to be influenced by the initial kidney function, as it decreases in subjects with hyperfiltration but tends to increase in those with kidney dysfunction. These results suggest that BS is associated with improvement of kidney outcomes, without a significant increase in renal complications.

Background: Doubts exist about the effect of different bariatric surgery (BS) types on levothyroxine (Lt4) absorption. We compared Lt4 doses and their variation (ΔLt4) in patients with hypothyroidism that underwent malabsorptive (MS) or restrictive (RS) surgery and studied predictors of Lt4 dose change., Methods: Retrospective study of morbidly obese hypothyroid patients submitted to BS. We compared RS ("sleeve" gastrectomy or adjustable gastric banding) with MS (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass) patients. We built a multivariable logistic regression and a linear regression model to study predictors of Lt4 dose changes and ΔLt4, respectively., Results: Fifty-seven patients: 35 MS and 22 RS. Mean age 47 years; 7% men. Patients submitted to MS had lower BMI at 1 year than those submitted to RS. Lt4 dose remained unchanged in 61.4%, increased in 12.3%, and decreased in 26.3% of patients. Initial and 1-year Lt4 dose were not different between surgical groups. Relative Lt4 dose, but not absolute (p = 0.07), increased at 1 year (p < 0.001). Neither BS nor BMI variation were predictors of Lt4 dose variation. BMI variation was associated with relative Lt4 dose change independently of initial BMI and BS type: β (95%CI) - 0.03 (- 0.05; 0.00); p = 0.03., Conclusions: There were no differences in Lt4 dose and its variation between restrictive and malabsorptive techniques 1 year after surgery. Malabsorptive procedures may not affect Lt4 absorption differently from restrictive ones. Bariatric surgery type was not predictive of Lt4 dose changes. BMI variation is associated with relative Lt4 dose (dose per weight) variation and its association was independent of bariatric surgery type.

Background: Several studies have reported that morbid obesity is associated with increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. However, it is not clear what is the impact of bariatric surgery on postoperative thyroid function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of weight loss after bariatric surgery on TSH levels in euthyroid patients with morbid obesity., Methods: We performed a retrospective observational study of 949 euthyroid patients (86.1% female; age 42.0 ± 10.3 years, BMI 44.3 ± 5.7 kg/m 2 ) with morbid obesity submitted to bariatric surgery (laparoscopic adjustable gastric band, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, or sleeve gastrectomy). Patients were subdivided in two groups: normal TSH group (TSH <2.5 mU/L) and high-normal TSH group (TSH ≥2.5 mU/L). The impact of anthropometric parameters, comorbidities, TSH, free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), type of surgery, and excessive body weight loss (EBWL) on TSH variation 12 months after surgery was evaluated., Results: The high-normal TSH group (24.3% of patients) included more women, presented a higher BMI, higher systolic blood pressure, and higher FT3 levels. There was a significant decrease of TSH 12 months after surgery that was more marked in the high-normal TSH group (normal TSH group: 1.57 ± 0.49 to 1.53 ± 0.69 mIU/L, p = 0.063; high-normal TSH group: 3.23 ± 0.59 to 2.38 ± 0.86 mIU/L, p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis, after adjusting for relevant covariates, EBWL, baseline BMI, and baseline FT3 were significantly associated with TSH decrease 12 months after bariatric surgery., Conclusion: Bariatric surgery promotes a decrease of TSH that is significantly greater in patients with high-normal TSH and is independently associated with EBWL after surgery.

Background: Bariatric surgery can improve glucose metabolism in obese patients with diabetes, but the factors that can predict diabetes remission are still under discussion. The present study aims to examine the impact of preoperative beta cell function on diabetes remission following surgery., Materials and Methods: We investigated a cohort of 363 obese diabetic patients who underwent bariatric surgery. The impact of several preoperative beta cell function indexes on diabetes remission was explored through bivariate logistic regression models., Results: Postoperative diabetes remission was achieved in 39.9 % of patients. Younger patients (p < 0.001) and those with lower HbA1c (p = 0.001) at the baseline evaluation had higher odds of diabetes remission. Use of oral anti-diabetics and insulin therapy did not reach statistical significance when they were adjusted for age and HbA1c. Among the evaluated indexes of beta cell function, higher values of insulinogenix index, Stumvoll first- and second-phase indexes, fasting C-peptide, C-peptide area under the curve (AUC), C-peptide/glucose AUC, ISR (insulin secretion rate) AUC, and ISR/glucose AUC predicted diabetes remission even after adjustment for age and HbA1c. Among them, C-peptide AUC had the higher discriminative power (AUC 0.76; p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Patients' age and preoperative HbA1c can forecast diabetes remission following surgery. Unlike other studies, our group found that the use of oral anti-diabetics and insulin therapy were not independent predictors of postoperative diabetes status. Preoperative beta cell function, mainly C-peptide AUC, is useful in predicting diabetes remission, and it should be assessed in all obese diabetic patients before bariatric or metabolic surgery.

Background: Bariatric surgery improves lipid profile. A still unanswered question is whether this improvement is merely weight-dependent or also results from factors inherent to specificities of the bariatric procedure. We aimed to study lipid profile 1 year after bariatric surgery and compare its changes between the different procedures in patients matched for initial weight and weight loss., Methods: We retrospectively analysed patients submitted to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), adjustable gastric banding (AGB) or sleeve gastrectomy (SG) between 2010 and 2013. Patients were matched for age (±5 years), sex, pre-surgery body mass index (BMI) (±2 Kg/m(2)) and excess weight loss (EWL) (±5%). Baseline and 1-year lipid profile, its variation and percentage of variation was compared between surgeries., Results: We analysed 229 patients: 72 pairs RYGB-AGB, 47 pairs RYGB-SG and 33 pairs AGB-SG. The median age was 41 (35-52) years and 11.8% were male. Pre-operative BMI was 44.0 ± 4.6 and 32.1 ± 4.4 Kg/m(2) at 1 year. EWL at 1 year was 64.2 ± 18.9%. There were no differences in baseline lipid profile between patients submitted to different types of bariatric surgery. At 1 year, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides (TG) improved similarly with all surgeries. Total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) at 1 year decreased significantly more in patients submitted to RYGB than in weight-matched patients undergoing AGB or SG., Conclusions: RYGB is the only bariatric surgery that reduces TC and LDL in age-, sex-, BMI- and EWL-matched patients. All three procedures improved TG and HDL similarly when the confounding effect of weight loss is eliminated.