Obesity drugs and surgery: effects on blood pressure
New drugs to treat obesity have effects that They go beyond simple weight loss., provided they are used correctly and by the people who really need them. The same thing happens with obesity or bariatric surgery, which improves the health of those who undergo it by reducing comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension; yes, in capable hands and with appropriate medical indications.
Two recently published studies confirm this positive effect. One of them, conducted by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas (USA) and published in the journal HypertensionFound that The weight loss drug tirzepatide significantly reduces systolic blood pressure nearly 500 obese adults took it for about eight months.
Given the current data, it is impossible to determine whether the effect of tirzepatide (Munjaro) on blood pressure was more due to the drug’s mechanism of action or the significant weight loss that participants experienced. After allobesity is a risk factor for hypertension. In any case, as the study authors explain, “the lowest blood pressure values observed with tirzepatide rivaled those obtained with many hypertension medications.”
Other medications for obesity and diabetes have also shown positive effects on cardiovascular risk factors. This applies to semaglutide, which is capable of significantly reduce cardiovascular events in overweight or obese people with pre-existing cardiovascular disease and without diabetes, according to study results Choose.
Effects of bariatric surgery on hypertension
Another strategy to combat obesity. Bariatric surgery also has a significant impact on blood pressure levels.. According to a new study published in Journal of the American College of CardiologyHowever, this type of surgery is more effective in controlling high blood pressure in obese people with uncontrolled hypertension than the exclusive use of antihypertensive drugs. After five years, people who had this surgery had a lower body mass index (BMI) and took fewer medications.
After this period, the average BMI was 28.01 kg/m2 for those who had bariatric surgery, compared with 36.40 kg/m2 for those who received blood pressure medications only. Remission of hypertensiondefined as controlled blood pressure without medication was 46.9% in those who had surgery, whereas it was only 2.4% in those who received drug therapy only.
Weight loss for the prevention and treatment of hypertension
The American Heart Society (AHA) reviews a document published in 2021 in Hypertension various strategies for preventing and treating hypertension through weight loss. First, it states that hypertension is a very important risk factor for cardiovascular and kidney disease. In the same time, Obesity affects the risk of hypertension through different mechanismssuch as neurohormonal activation, inflammation and renal dysfunction.
The prevalence of obesity continues to rise, leading to an increase in hypertension and related heart and kidney diseases. Therefore development strategies to prevent and treat obesity more effectively This is a very useful strategy.
In general, lifestyle strategies such as improving diet, reducing sedentary behavior, and increasing physical activity are recommended for obese patients. However, according to experts at the American Heart Association, “the long-term success of these strategies in reducing excess body fat, maintaining weight loss, and lowering blood pressure has been limited.” For themPharmacological and surgical options should also be considered.. However, there are still “unanswered questions related to the mechanisms of obesity-related disease, the long-term effectiveness of various treatment and prevention strategies, and the timing of these interventions.”
In addition, it must be taken into account that the prescription of weight loss drugs that may be “beneficial in the treatment of obesity in the short and long term” is limited. Referring to metabolic surgeryThe AHA notes that “it is effective for sustained weight loss, as well as for the treatment of hypertension and metabolic disorders.” in many severely obese patients” That is, it is not indicated for the treatment of overweight or less severe types of obesity, and candidate patients should be selected accordingly.
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