Gastric Banding Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Gastric Banding, including details on laparoscopic gastric banding, stomach stapling, gastric bypass, risks, diet.

Effect of pronounced weight loss on the nontraditional cardiovascular risk marker matrix metalloproteinase-9 in middle-aged morbidly obese women.

Laimer M, Kaser S, Kranebitter M, Sandhofer A, Mühlmann G, Schwelberger H, Weiss H, Patsch JR, Ebenbichler CF

Clinical Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Division of General Internal Medicine, Medical University Innsbruck, Austria.

OBJECTIVE: Obesity is associated with increased morbidity and mortality from atherosclerotic disease. Nontraditional cardiovascular risk factors such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are elevated in obese subjects and weight loss is associated with an attenuation of these risk factors. Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been linked to plaque rupture, and is, thus, a candidate marker of future myocardial events. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of weight loss on MMP-9 plasma concentrations. METHODS AND RESULTS: CRP, IL-6 and MMP-9 were analyzed from samples of 45 morbidly obese, middle-aged women before gastric banding and 1 y postsurgical treatment in this prospective study. The body mass index (BMI) of subjects decreased from 42.5+/-4.9 to 32.3+/-5.3 kg/m(2) 1 y after gastric banding. In parallel, both MMP-9 and CRP were reduced by 23 and 41%, respectively. A positive relationship was found between BMI and MMP-9 (r=0.312, P<0.05), and between CRP and IL-6 (r=0.508, P<0.05), whereas no correlation was found between CRP and MMP-9. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that weight loss is associated with a pronounced decrease in the nontraditional cardiovascular risk markers MMP-9 and CRP, which could indicate future beneficial effects of weight loss on the cardiovascular risk in weight loosing subjects.

Published 15 April 2005 in Int J Obes (Lond), 29(5): 498-501.
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