Smoking in post-bariatric patients without regular medical follow-up and associated weight loss and regain: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity and smoking are associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, reducedquality of life andprematuremortality. The relationship between smoking and body weight changes in patients who underwent bariatric surgery is unclear.Objective: We studiedpost-bariatric patients without any current medical follow-up and compared smokers andnon-smokers with regard to weight loss and regain. Methodology: Ninety-four patients post-Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (n=80) or Sleeve gastrectomy (n=14), aged 42±9 years, body mass index (BMI)=32.9±6.5kg/m2, were recruited in public outpatient care and allocated into two groups according to time since surgery < or ≥5 years (G<5y or G≥5y, respectively). They were further divided into smokers or non-smokers. Clinical history, physical examination, anthropometrics and hemodynamics measurements were obtained. Results: The prevalence of smoking was 12.8%. BMI, neck circumference, pre-surgical BMI, and rate of weight regain (RWR) were higher in the G≥5y group than in the G<5y (p≤0.03) one. No differences in excess weight loss (EWL) were observed between smokers andnon-smokers in both groups (p≥0.15). Higher RWR was detected in non-smokers in G<5y (p=0.03), while no differences between smokers andnon-smokers were found for RWR in G≥5y (p=0.37). Conclusion: Smoking habits do not appear to influence weight loss after surgery. However, a higher weight regain was detected in non-smokers who had less than 5 years since surgery.