The Comparative Effect of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass and Sleeve Gastrectomy on 10-Year and Lifetime Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk.

Background: Bariatric surgery reduces atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk. However, the comparative effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) on 10-year and lifetime ASCVD risk, as defined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (ACC/AHA), remains unknown.

Methods: Using the ACC/AHA ASCVD risk estimator, 10-year and lifetime ASCVD risks were calculated before and 1 year after bariatric surgery for patients aged 40-78 who underwent RYGB or SG at an academic medical center in California between 2003 and 2015. Change in risk was calculated by taking the difference between 1-year and baseline risk. Statistical analyses included the Wilcoxon signed rank test, Mann-Whitney U test, Quade's test, and multiple logistic regression.

Results: There were 536 patients (mean age 52 ± 10 years, 20% male), of whom 438 underwent RYGB and 98 underwent SG. Patients undergoing RYGB were predominately female (82% vs 71%, p = 0.021) and had higher baseline BMIs (44.4 ± 8.4 vs 41.9 ± 8.0, p < 0.001) than patients undergoing SG. Compared with baseline, 10-year and lifetime ASCVD risks were significantly lower 1 year after surgery (aggregate of RYGB and SG, 4.2 ± 6.0% vs. 2.2 ± 3.5%, p < 0.001; 50 ± 11% vs. 39 ± 12%, p < 0.001, respectively). Patients who underwent RYGB had greater reductions in 10-year and lifetime ASCVD risks from baseline to 1 year after surgery than patients who underwent SG (1.7 ± 3.5% vs. 0.8 ± 2.4%, p < 0.001; 11 ± 23% vs. 0 ± 12%, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions: Although RYGB and SG significantly lower 10-year and lifetime cardiovascular disease risks by 1 year after surgery, patients who undergo RYGB may experience greater cardiovascular risk reduction relative to counterparts who undergo SG.