Will Bariatric Surgery Help Lower High Blood Pressure?
What is hypertension?
Hypertension or high blood pressure is a condition characterized by elevated blood pressure, that is, the force of the blood pushing against the walls of the blood vessels.
The Framingham Heart Study, a famous long-term study, estimated that being overweight or obese accounts for approximately 26 percent of hypertension cases in men and 28 percent in women.
Excess body weight puts one at risk for hypertension and cardiovascular disease by activating the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. This system is a series of reactions designed to help regulate blood pressure.
Can bariatric surgery help lower blood pressure?
Losing even a small amount of weight can help reduce blood pressure. The problem is, not everyone loses weight effectively through conventional weight loss methods (i.e. diet and exercise).
Studies have shown that of all weight loss methods, bariatric surgery has proven to be the most effective and long-lasting solution for patients who are morbidly obesity. Bariatric surgery doesn’t only help patients achieve weight loss, it may also resolve obesity-related comorbidities such as hypertension.
Various observational studies show consistent improvements in hypertension a year after bariatric surgery, with remission rates of 60 to 70 percent.
Aside from the weight loss, blood pressure also improves in bariatric patients because of the decrease in inflammatory response. This leads to a decrease in arterial stiffness and sodium reabsorption that leads to normalization of blood pressure levels.
Begin Your Weight Loss Journey at Foothills Weight Loss Surgeons
At Foothills Weight Loss Surgeons in Knoxville, TN, our bariatric surgery process begins with viewing our online free educational seminar. This is a requirement for all of our patients. The seminar will introduce you to Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Mark Colquitt and his expert team, and it will provide you with more information about your surgery options, and answer your FAQs.
If you think you may benefit from bariatric surgery, our team is here for you. To get started on your weight loss journey, please register for our seminar using a computer in a Chrome, Firefox, or Safari browser. This is a 33-minute video that includes a quiz. After you’ve viewed the seminar, please fill out the New Patient Paperwork.
If you have questions about viewing or registering a seminar, you may call us at (865) 984-3413 or visit this link.
Foothills Weight Loss Surgeons is part of Premier Surgical Bariatrics in Knoxville, Tennessee. Foothills is affiliated with the Fort Sanders Regional Center for Bariatric Surgery, part of Covenant Health Bariatric Services.