Key result
MBS weight loss correlates highly within monozygotic twin pairs, highlighting genetic drivers.
Why the study?
BMI is strongly related in MZ twins, but whether this relation remains stable between MZ twins after metabolic-bariatric surgery is still to be determined.
Does genetic predisposition influence body weight loss after metabolic-bariatric surgery in monozygotic twins?
Systematic Review
Does genetic predisposition influence body weight loss after metabolic-bariatric surgery in monozygotic twins?
This systematic review highlights a strong genetic influence on body weight loss following metabolic-bariatric surgery, as evidenced by high correlation within monozygotic twin pairs.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports genetic-informed counseling for bariatric candidates; extends twin-study evidence on heritability of weight-loss response.
Obesity is an increasingly widespread illness currently affecting more than 890 million adults worldwide. Excess body weight is a multifactorial challenge, driven by complex interaction between genetic predisposition and environmental influences rendering the underlying causes of obesity difficult to identify. Monozygotic twin (MZT) studies provide great value in medical research analyzing external exposures within twin pairs with fixed genetic or environmental factors that normally tend to confound results in general population studies. Metabolic-bariatric surgery (MBS) is considered an effective durable therapy in terms of body weight loss (BWL) and the control of cardiometabolic risk factors in obese patients. Body mass index (BMI) is known to be strongly related in MZ twins but whether this relation is stable between MZ twins after MBS is still to be determined. The results of this study support the importance of genetics over BWL after MBS with high correlation amongst MZ twin pairs.
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Thorpe et al. (2026) conducted a systematic review in Obesity. Metabolic-bariatric surgery (MBS) vs. Within-pair co-twin was evaluated on Body weight loss (BWL) and Body mass index (BMI) correlation. Metabolic-bariatric surgery in monozygotic twins demonstrated a high correlation in body weight loss within twin pairs, highlighting the importance of genetics in postoperative weight loss.
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