This suggests that some patients who are obese but not morbidly obese could benefit from bariatric surgery, which can help reduce cardiovascular disease, said Dr. Livingston.
Dr. Nicola Abate, associate professor of internal medicine in the Center for Human Nutrition at UT Southwestern and the studys co-author, said its possible that very obese patients simply have a greater capacity to store excessive calories in their adipocytes, or fat cells, thereby preventing excessive fat from spilling into the bloodstream, where it contributes to heart disease.
Our findings suggest that there is a group of individuals who have an almost unlimited ability to store excess calories as fat. This prevents changes in plasma metabolites, such as triglycerides and cholesterol, which promote risk for heart disease, Dr. Abate said. In contrast, those who cant store as much fat and who only accumulate fat in the upper body often have excessive plasma concentrations of triglycerides and cholesterol, which will increase their risk for heart disease. Even though their BMI may be below the current recommended cutoff, these patients could potentially benefit from bariatric surgery.
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| Contact: Kristen Holland Shear kristen.hollandshear@utsouthwestern.edu 214-648-3404 UT Southwestern Medical Center Source:Eurekalert |