Assessment of Endothelial Function in Iranian Healthy Obese Patients after Bariatric Surgery

BACKGROUND: Endothelial function plays a critical role in cardiovascular homeostasis. Morbid obesity is associated with an enhanced risk of atherosclerosis and chronic inflammation. Bariatric surgery (BS) is a promising method used recently for weight loss; however, the number of studies that have examined the effect of BS on endothelial function is limited. This study aimed to investigate the association between endothelial function evaluated by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and weight loss after BS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in Isfahan, Iran, and included 40 healthy obese individuals who underwent BS as an intervention group and 40 healthy obese patients who did not undergo BS as a control group in a 6-month follow-up duration period. FMD as an indicator of endothelial function was evaluated in these participants. FMD <7.1% is considered abnormal. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between control and BS groups in terms of age and body mass index (BMI) at baseline. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of FMD in the BS group pre- and post-intervention were 12.95 ± 6.90 and 37.65 ± 13.52 respectively and the mean ± SD of FMD in the control group were 15.88 ± 6.85 and 15.85 ± 5.83. The association between significant weight loss after BS and FMD was strongly significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of this study, it can be concluded that BS has been effective in terms of improving the FMD as an indicator of endothelial function.