Bariatric Surgery Impact on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: Is Age a Factor to Consider?

Introduction: Despite the abundance of data addressing the influence of patient's age on surgery-related complications, its impact on cardiometabolic outcomes following bariatric surgery has been overlooked.

Methods: Retrospective unicentric study of 1,728 obese patients who underwent bariatric surgery between January 2010 and June 2015. Patients were divided in 3 age groups, according to their age at surgery: ˂40 (n = 751), 40-59 (n = 879), and ≥60 years (n = 98). Parameters with cardiometabolic impact, such as body anthropometric measures, lipid profile, and glycemic status, before and 24 months after surgery, were compared between these groups. A multiple linear regression was performed, adjusting differences between groups for sex, surgery type, and body mass index variation.

Results: The group ˂40 years presented more weight loss (-35.4 ± 9.0 kg, p ˂ 0.001), greater BMI reduction (-15.8 ± 6.1 kg/m2, p ˂ 0.001), and larger changes in waist (-34 ± 13.8 cm, p ˂ 0.001) and hip circumferences (-28.7 ± 11.9 cm, p ˂ 0.05). The group of ≥60 years presented the heaviest reduction in fasting glucose (-17.7 ± 32.8 mg/dL, p ˂ 0.001) and HbA1c (0.7 ± 1.0, p ˂ 0.001), and also had a tendency to have the biggest changes in systolic blood pressure (-14.7 ± 18.7 mm Hg, p = 0.071).

Conclusion: Patients with ≥60 years benefit the most from bariatric surgery regarding cardiometabolic parameters, presenting heavier reductions in fasting glucose, as well as HbA1c and a tendency towards a higher decrease in systolic blood pressure. No clinically significant differences in lipid profile were observed between groups.