Nicholson Clinic

Obesity has long been connected to problems related to cardiovascular health. Risks for heart disease, hypertension and high cholesterol are all known to rise right along with weight. New research indicates that people who undergo bariatric surgery to address obesity are likely to discover very good news on the cardiovascular front. Researchers have found that patient lipid profiles dramatically improve in the months following surgical intervention to address weight. That finding came out of an analysis of 178 other studies that included surgery’s impacts on lipid profiles. All told, records related to more than 25,000 patients were reviewed. Researchers found that overall patients undergoing any type of bariatric surgery benefited from significant reductions in total cholesterol levels, low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. Patients also showed a significant rise in high density lipoprotein cholesterol, which is considered the “good” cholesterol. Researchers did ...

As the benefits of bariatric surgery become more widely known, more people are considering this weight loss alternative. While it is quite true that weight loss surgery can help people obtain and maintain a healthy weight, this type of procedure shouldn’t be entered into lightly. Weight loss surgery requires a lifelong commitment in order for people to gain the full benefits. Some of the most commonly performed bariatric procedures involve rather invasive surgeries that alter the body permanently. The gastric bypass, for example, shrinks the stomach’s holding capacity while also rerouting digestion to reduce caloric absorption. Sleeve gastrectomy procedures, a popular alternative to bypasses, permanently shrink the stomach’s holding capacity. The end result of both of these procedures is dramatic weight loss, but that doesn’t mean patients don’t play an important role in the process. In order to gain the full benefits of weight loss surgery while also maintaining health in the pr...