Effects of gastric bypass followed by a randomized study of physical training on markers of coagulation activation, fibrin clot properties, and fibrinolysis.

Background: The risk of cardiovascular disease is reduced by bariatric surgery, but it is unknown if exercise after bariatric surgery reduces this risk even further.

Objective: To investigate if Roux-en-Y-gastric bypass (RYGB) and supervised physical training after RYGB improve cardiovascular disease risk markers within coagulation activation, fibrin clot properties, and fibrinolysis.

Setting: Bariatric center, Hospital of Southwest Jutland, Denmark.

Methods: Sixty obese patients underwent RYGB and 6 months after RYGB were randomized to 26 weeks of physical training or a control group. Biomarkers within coagulation activation, fibrin clot properties, and fibrinolysis were measured presurgery, and 6, 12, and 24 months postsurgery.

Results: Six months after RYGB, the endogenous thrombin potential decreased from 1744 (1603-2003) to 1416 (1276-1582) nM × min (P<.001). Alterations in fibrin clot properties resulted in an increased clot lysis from 23.8% (16.1%-38.9%) to 40.3% (28.5%-59.35; P<.0001). Furthermore, fibrinogen was reduced from 12.6 (11.1-14.7) to 11.5 (9.90-13.3) µM (P<.001), and plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen was reduced from 40.5 (28.4-49.4) to 24.4 (15.4-32.7) ng/mL (P<.0001). Physical training after RYGB increased fibrinolytic activity from 58.0 (36.0-75.5) to 88.0 (66.0-132.0) IU/mL compared with 52.5 (30.0-80.0) to 64.0 (49.0-100.0) IU/mL in controls (P<.01) and reduced plasminogen activator inhibitor antigen from 23.5 (16.7-35.4) to 18.1 (14.3-25.4) ng/mL compared with 24.4 (13.9-28.7) to 24.2 (14.1-29.6) ng/mL in controls (P<.05). No effects of physical training were observed on markers of coagulation activation and fibrin clot properties.

Conclusion: We observed favorable long-term reductions in markers of thrombin generation, improved fibrin clot properties, and increases in fibrinolysis after RYGB. Supervised physical training after RYGB further increased fibrinolysis.