Following an initial reduction of HDL at one month post surgery, most likely resulting from an early marked negative energy balance, plasma lipids and lipoproteins changed beneficially over the course of the year. Eventually they showed significant improvements comparable to individuals taking statin drugs (concentration of total HDL -C increased by nearly 25% while the large, cholesterol-rich ?±-1 HDL particles, inversely associated with risk for CVD in previous studies, increased by as much as 177% over baseline levels). These increases coincided with reductions in body mass index, body adiposity, plasma triglycerides, and the LDL/HDL ratio. It is worth noting that the improvements of the HDL profile were significantly correlated with the improvements in glucose homeostasis indicating that lipid and glucose metabolisms are closely linked.

The authors note this initial investigation into the effects of weight loss/bariatric surgery on HDL remodeling does have some limitations, including that the observed improvements may not be applicable to men without further studies in male patients. Neither did the study track post-surgery diet, exercise and alcohol intake. However, this study does seem to indicate that beyond the decreases of body weight and fat mass, and the known beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, weight loss/bariatric surgery can improve a number of lipid parameters associated with cardiovascular health and decreased risk for CVD in these weight-reduced patients.

Source: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology