[The effect of intragastric balloon on serum lipids level in patients with morbid obesity].

Obesity is recently considered as the twentieth first century epidemy. An excessive accumulation of adipocytes that constitute metabolically active tissue, plays an important role in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. In the morbidly obese population dyslipidemia is common.

UNASSIGNED

To determine the content of total cholesterol (TC), HDL-cholesterol (HDL), LDL-cholesterol (LDL) and triacylglicerol (TG) in obese subjects treated with the Bioenterics Intragastric Balloon (BIB).

METHODS

BIB was placement for 6 months in 21 obese patients, mean age 40 (21-60), with BMI 473 +/- 5.7 kg/m2. The control group consisted of 15 morbidly obese patients treated conservatively. Plasma lipid concentration were assessed by the enzymatic methods.

RESULTS

No major complications have been noted in patients with BIB. However, nearly all patients complained of discomfort, nausea and vomiting for the first few days. Over a 6-month-period, a reduction in body mass in the BIB group was 17.1 +/- 8.0 kg as compared to 3.2 +/- 6.4 kg in the control group (p = 0.00003). The biggest reduction in body mass was observed during first month. After one month, total cholesterol (TC) decreased by 17.6% (p < 0.001), triacylglycerol (TG) decreased by 25.5% (p = 0.01), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) decreased by 27.5% (p < 0.001). In the control group, the corresponding levels of TC, TG and LDL remained unchanged. The level of HDL increased in both group.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with morbid obesity treated with BIB, weight loss is accompanied by a decrease in concentration TC, LDL and TG and increase in plasma HDL. The reduction of lipid concentration in blood serum may cut down cholesterol-lowering therapy and diminish the risk for development of coronary heart disease.