Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a common comorbidity of obesity. It can damage arteries, lead to heart attack or heart failure, damage your kidneys, lead to cognitive impairment and dementia, and cause a stroke or TIA among many other possible medical issues. Achieving and maintaining a normal blood pressure is key to preventing these side effects.
Weight loss and diet modification have been the first line of defense for improving blood pressure. The problem is that many people have a hard time successfully losing weight and keeping it off. In fact, even with professional guidance many obese hypertensive patients can have a difficult time effectively reducing their blood pressure.
In the STAMPEDE study, which compared the medical outcomes of obese patients with type 2 diabetes who have had either gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or were provided with medical nutrition therapy, one form of treatment significantly improved blood pressure- gastric sleeve surgery. Even though patients with gastric bypass surgery saw the largest weight loss, gastric sleeve surgery produced the most significant reduction in blood pressure. Those who received medical nutrition therapy saw an average increase in their systolic blood pressure and a 6.48 decrease in their diastolic blood pressure. Gastric bypass surgery patients has an average 1.29 increase in their systolic, and a 4.25 decrease in their diastolic blood pressure. Gastric sleeve surgery patients were the only group to see a decrease in both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure (4.43 and 6.27, respectively).
If you are obese or overweight and have type 2 diabetes and/or hypertension, bariatric surgery may be an option for you. Call Dr. Shillingford at (561) 483-8840 to schedule a free informational session to learn more about gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band surgery and see which one is right for you. Dr. Shillingford, MD, PA, is a board certified surgeon specializing in advanced laparoscopic and weight loss surgery. His gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, and lap band surgery patients often come from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Orlando, and Tampa to have their surgery done by the Medical Director of Northwest Medical Center’s Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery. Don’t wait. Call today and make it your first step toward improving your health.
