Degree of Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Normalization in Individuals Receiving Bariatric Surgery: Evidence From NHANES 2015–2018

Bariatric surgery leads to clinically significant weight loss and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors (1–3). However, population-based evidence evaluating the degree of improvements in cardiometabolic outcomes among those receiving bariatric surgery is limited. Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–2018, we examined cardiometabolic risk factors among individuals who had undergone bariatric surgery, those eligible for but not receiving bariatric surgery, and normal-weight adults. This study included adults aged ≥18 years who responded to bariatric surgery questions during the NHANES 2015–2018 cycles. The NHANES uses a stratified multistage probability method to sample the nationally representative U.S. population (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm). We analyzed six cardiometabolic measures—systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), HDL cholesterol (HDL-C), and hs-CRP—measured in a mobile examination center. We used survey design–adjusted descriptive statistics to characterize the study population into three groups: 1 ) individuals with normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9 kg/m2), 2 ) individuals reporting receipt of bariatric surgery, and 3 ) individuals medically eligible for bariatric surgery but reporting they had not received it. Surgery eligibility criteria include BMI ≥40 kg/m2 or …