Long-term effects of bariatric surgery on peripheral endothelial function and coronary microvascular function

Background We previously demonstrated that bariatric surgery (BS) leads to a short-term significant improvement of endothelial function and coronary microvascular function. In this study we assessed whether BS maintains its beneficial effect at long-term follow up. Design We studied 19 morbidly obese patients (age 43 ± 9 years, 12 women) without any evidence of cardiovascular disease who underwent BS. Patients were studied before BS, at 3 months and at 4.0 ± 1.5 years follow up. Methods Peripheral vascular function was assessed by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and nitrate-mediated dilation (NMD), i.e., brachial artery diameter changes in response to post-ischemic forearm hyperhaemia and to nitroglycerin administration, respectively. Coronary microvascular function was assessed by measuring coronary blood flow (CBF) response to intravenous adenosine and to cold pressor test (CPT) in the left anterior descending coronary artery. Results Together with improvement of anthropometric and metabolic profile, at long-term follow-up patients showed a significant improvement of FMD (6.43 ± 2.88 vs. 8.21 ± 1.73%, p = 0.018), and CBF response to both adenosine (1.73 ± 0.48 vs. 2.58 ± 0.54; p < 0.01) and CPT (1.43 ± 0.30 vs. 2.23 ± 0.48; p < 0.01), compared to basal values. No differences in vascular end-points were shown at 3-month and 4-year follow-up after BS. Conclusions Our data show that, in morbidly obese patients, BS exerts beneficial and long lasting effects on peripheral endothelial function and on coronary microvascular dilator function.