Characteristics and resolution of hypertension in obese African American bariatric cohort

Abstract

Weight reduction continues to be first-line therapy in the treatment of hypertension (HTN). However, the long-term effect of bariatric malabsorptive surgical techniques such as Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass (RYGB) surgery in the management of hypertension (HTN) is less clear. African Americans (AA) are disproportionately affected by obesity and hypertension and have inconsistent outcomes after bariatric surgery (BS). Despite a plethora of bariatric literature, data about characteristics of a predominantly AA bariatric hypertensive cohort including hypertension in obese (HIO) are scarce and underreported. The aims of this study were, (1) to describe the preoperative clinical characteristics of HIO with respect to HTN status and age, and (2) to identify predictors of HTN resolution one year after RYGB surgery in an AA bariatric cohort enrolled at the Howard University Center for Wellness and Weight Loss Surgery (HUCWWS). In the review of 169 AA bariatric patients, the average BMI was 48.50 kg/m2 and the average age was 43.86 years. Obese hypertensive patients were older (46 years vs. 37.89 years; p