A systematic review and meta-analysis published in BMC Cardiovascular Disorders has found that bariatric surgery produces significantly greater reductions in blood pressure, glycaemic markers, and lipid profiles than nonsurgical interventions in patients with concurrent obesity and hypertension.
Conducted by Parham Dastjerdi and colleagues, the analysis drew on 29 randomised controlled trials comprising 2,548 patients. Surgical approaches assessed included Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, and biliopancreatic diversion. Nonsurgical comparators included lifestyle modifications and pharmacological treatment.
Across all surgical procedures, bariatric surgery was associated with statistically significant reductions in systolic blood pressure (mean difference: −4.506 mmHg) and diastolic blood pressure (mean difference: −3.040 mmHg) compared with nonsurgical management. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass demonstrated the strongest effect on both measures. Reductions observed with other surgical techniques, whilst directionally consistent, did not reach statistical significance.
Surgical intervention also produced meaningful improvements in secondary metabolic outcomes. Fasting blood glucose decreased by a mean of 30.4 mg/dL, HbA1c by 1.1 percentage points, and triglycerides by 39.7 mg/dL, whilst high-density lipoprotein levels increased by a mean of 7.4 mg/dL, all in favour of the surgical groups.
The authors concluded that the findings support bariatric surgery as an effective treatment strategy for managing obesity alongside comorbid hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and dyslipidaemia.
Source: Dastjerdi P. et al., BMC Cardiovascular Disorders (2025). DOI: 10.1186/s12872-025-04640-9
