Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery Improves Systolic Function in Obese Patients With Heart Failure

Obesity has become a worldwide public health issue. Many obese patients concomitantly suffer with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. There have been reports of improvement in left ventricular systolic function following significant weight loss after bariatric surgery. We sought to investigate this phenomenon within our institution. This was a retrospective single-center analysis of patients conducted between 2010 and 2019. The study included patients with morbid obesity (body mass index >35 kg/m2 and an obesity-related comorbid condition, or a body mass index >40 kg/m2) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction. Analysis was performed based on systolic function recovery after bariatric surgery and advanced heart failure therapy. Of the 190 patients identified, 57 patients had a left ventricular ejection fraction of <40%. Twenty-two patients underwent bariatric surgery, of which at least 54.5% had systolic function recovery. Patients who had systolic function recovery after bariatric surgery were significantly older (51.58 years ± 10.48 vs 32.3 years ± 5.03, P = 0.001). Older age and female sex were predictors of systolic function recovery. In patients with obesity and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, weight loss following bariatric surgery was shown to be correlated with significant improvement in left ventricular systolic function.