A Rutgers study of obese adults, all with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and morbid obesity (body mass index > 40), has shown that those who underwent bariatric surgery suffered far fewer extreme cardiovascular events subsequently. Reporting their results in JAMA Network Open, the Rutgers team, along with collaborators from Ohio State University, reported that obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery were nearly 50 percent less likely to develop adverse cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, angina or strokes.
“The findings provide evidence in support of bariatric surgery as an effective therapeutic tool to lower elevated risk of cardiovascular disease for select individuals with obesity and NAFLD,” said Vinod K. Rustgi, Distinguished Professor of Medicine, clinical director of Hepatology and director of the Center for Liver Diseases and Liver Masses at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “These finding are tremendously impactful for many reasons.” To read the full story.