BMI criteria for obesity surgery should be lowered, UT Southwestern researcher suggests

This suggests that some patients who are obese but not morbidly obese could benefit from bariatric surgery, which can help reduce cardiovascular disease, said Dr. Livingston.

Dr. Nicola Abate, associate professor of internal medicine in the Center for Human Nutrition at UT Southwestern and the study’s co-author, said it’s possible that very obese patients simply have a greater capacity to store excessive calories in their adipocytes, or fat cells, thereby preventing excessive fat from spilling into the bloodstream, where it contributes to heart disease.

“Our findings suggest that there is a group of individuals who have an almost unlimited ability to store excess calories as fat. This prevents changes in plasma metabolites, such as triglycerides and cholesterol, which promote risk for heart disease,” Dr. Abate said. “In contrast, those who can’t store as much fat and who only accumulate fat in the upper body often have excessive plasma concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol, which will increase their risk for heart disease. Even though their BMI may be below the current recommended cutoff, these patients could potentially benefit from bariatric surgery.”

Dr. Manisha Chandalia, associate professor of internal medicine in the Center for Human Nutrition, co-authored the study.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/patientcare/medicalservices/bariatrics.html to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in bariatrics.

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Dr. Edward Livingston - http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/findfac/professional/0,2356,58399,00.html

Dr. Nicola Abate - http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/findfac/professional/0,2356,20228,00.html