BackgroundObesity is associated with chronic inflammation, liver steatosis and increased liver enzymes such as gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), markers for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and liver fat content. Increased platelet counts (PCs) are a biomarker reflecting inflammation and the degree of fibrosis in NAFLD. We investigated alterations in PCs, GGT, ALT, C-reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP).MethodsOne hundred twenty-four morbidly obese non-diabetic patients were evaluated before (baseline) and 12 months after (follow-up) RYGBP.ResultsBody mass index (BMI) was reduced from 43.5 kg/m2 (baseline) to 31.1 kg/m2 (follow-up), and p < 0.001 and weight declined from 126.2 to 89.0 kg. PCs decreased from 303 × 109 to 260 × 109/l, p < 0.001. GGT was reduced from 0.63 to 0.38 μkat/l, p < 0.001. ALT decreased from 0.69 to 0.59 μkat/l, p = 0.006. CRP was lowered from 7.3 to 5.4 mg/l p < 0.001 and ferritin from 106 to 84 μg/l p < 0.001. The alterations in PCs correlated with the changes in CRP (r = 0.38, p = 0.001), BMI (r = 0.25, p = 0.012), weight (r = 0.24, p = 0.015) and inversely correlated with ferritin (r = 21, p = 0.036).ConclusionsPCs, GGT and ALT (markers for NAFLD), and CRP and ferritin (markers for inflammation) decreased in morbidly obese after RYGBP. The decrease in PCs correlated with alterations in CRP, BMI, weight and ferritin. The lowering of liver enzymes may reflect a lowered liver fat content and decreased general inflammation.

Abdominal obesity is associated with hypertension, increased fasting glucose, HbA1c, and cholesterol. Body mass index (BMI) is frequently used to measure and define obesity and as inclusion criteria for bariatric surgery. Sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) has been suggested to predict the amount of visceral fat, metabolic traits, and cardiometabolic risk superior to BMI. The aim was to test whether SAD has stronger correlations to glucometabolic traits compared to BMI. One hundred and fifty-five (108 women, 47 men) morbidly obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery were evaluated before (baseline), 6 and 12 months after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP). BMI was reduced from 43.7 kg/m2 (baseline) to 31.3 kg/m2 (12 months) and SAD from 32.6 to 23.2 cm (both p <0 .001 ). SAD correlated with CRP ( p = 0.04 ), fasting glucose ( p = 0.008 ), HbA1c ( p = 0.016 ), triglycerides ( p = 0.017 ), systolic blood pressure ( p = 0.032 ), and vitamin D ( p = 0.027 ). BMI correlated with CRP ( p = 0.006 ), triglycerides ( p = 0.016 ), vitamin D ( p = 0.002 ), and magnesium ( p = 0.037 ). Despite RYGBP surgery, vitamin D was significantly increased. Liver enzymes were significantly lowered after RYGBP and the change over time in SAD correlated with gamma-glutamyltransferase. SAD was superior to BMI to predict glucose disturbance and dyslipidemia implying increased use of SAD as it is cost effective and simple to perform in the clinic and could be of value when considering patients for bariatric surgery.