Research Indicates Weight Loss Surgery More Effective in Controlling Hypertension Rates

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that among obese individuals with uncontrolled high blood pressure, bariatric surgery is more effective at lowering hypertension rates than blood pressure medication.
Compared to individuals who only took antihypertensive medications, those who underwent bariatric surgery had lower BMIs, were on fewer medications, and maintained normal blood pressure levels after five years.
The CDC reports that adult obesity and hypertension rates in the United States are 41.9% and 45.4%, respectively.

Being obese has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, which in turn raise the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.

“In clinical practice, obesity is an overlooked condition. As a consequence, there is a frequent failure in approaching obesity as a crucial step for mitigating the risk of important cardiovascular risk factors including hypertension,” said Carlos Aurelio Schiavon, MD, FACS, lead author of the study and a surgeon specializing in bariatric surgery at Heart Hospital and BP Hospital in Sao Paulo.
Researchers in this study looked at the impact of treating obesity to lower high blood pressure. While there are new medications to treat obesity, long-term adherence to medication can be challenging.
This study looks at bariatric surgery as a better long-term solution to control obesity and, as a result, high blood pressure.

A total of 100 participants with a body mass index (BMI) of around 36.9 kg/m2 were involved in the GATEWAY experiment, of which 76% were female. Everyone in the group took at least two drugs for their hypertension.
Those with uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes and a history of cardiovascular events were not allowed.
The major goal was to reduce antihypertensive medication by at least 30% while keeping blood pressure levels below 140/90 mmHg after five years. The subjects were randomly randomized to receive either medial therapy alone or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with medical therapy.

At five years, BMI was 28.01 Kg/m2 for those who received bariatric surgery and 36.40 Kg/m2 for those on medical therapy alone. People who had bariatric surgery had an 80.7 per cent reduction in the number of medications they were taking compared to a 13.7 per cent reduction in those only using medical therapy.