Weight Loss Surgery and Heart Disease
Heart Disease is the number 1 killer of Americans today. Heart disease along with Type 2 Diabetes in most cases are direct symptoms of obesity.
Heart disease is general term that includes numerous problems, many of which are related plaque building up in the walls of the arteries. This buildup narrows the arteries, making it harder for blood to flow through. When blood slows down, it can clot and stop the blood flow. This can cause a heart attack or stroke. The medical name for this process is called Atherosclerosis
Am I a candidate?
Bariatric surgery is not for the casual dieter and there are several requirements that you will need to meet in order to be considered. Let us guide you through this process in a simple fashion. First, we need to know your height and weight. This will allow us to Calculate your Body Mass Index. BMI is an indicator used globally to indicate a healthy weight. Learn more about Body Mass Index
The Key Factors: High Blood Pressure / Hypertension
High blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is when your blood pressure, the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels, is consistently too high.
In order to survive and function properly, your tissues and organsneed the oxygenated blood that your circulatory system carries throughout the body. When the heart beats, it creates pressure that pushes blood through a network of tube-shaped blood vessels, which include arteries, veins and capillaries.
Why High Blood Pressure is Dangerous
Blood pressure is the result of two forces. The first force occurs as blood pumps out of the heart and into the arteries that are part of the circulatory system. The second force is created as the heart rests between heart beats. (These two forces are each represented by numbers in a blood pressure reading.)
The primary way that high blood pressure causes harm is by increasing the workload of the heart and blood vessels making them work harder and less efficiently.
Over time, the force and friction of high blood pressure damages the delicate tissues inside the arteries. In turn, LDL (bad) cholesterol forms plaque along tiny tears in the artery walls, restricting and slowing down blood flow.
The more the plaque and damage increases, the narrower (smaller) the insides of the arteries become — raising blood pressure and starting a vicious circle that further harms your arteries, heart and the rest of your body. This can ultimately lead to other conditions like heart attack and stroke.
Weight Loss Surgery Reduces Risk and Reverses Heart Disease Conditions
All of the cardiovascular risk factors listed above are improved or even resolved after bariatric surgery. Cardiac structure and function also have shown consistent improvement after surgically-induced weight loss.
The amount of improvement in cardiac risk factors is generally proportional to the amount of weight lost. The degree of weight loss varies with different bariatric procedures. Based on the improvement in risk profiles, it has been predicted that progression of atherosclerosis could be slowed and the 10 year risk of cardiac events would decline by ~ 50% in patients undergoing weight loss surgery.
