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Gastric bypass reduces blood pressure, Swedish research finds

Date:
September 7, 2011
Source:
University of Gothenburg
Summary:
The kidneys play an important role in the regulation of blood pressure by adjusting the production of urine after eating or drinking. This process begins already in the upper digestive tract, which could explain why gastric bypass surgery for obesity also markedly reduce blood pressure, reveals research from Sweden.
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The kidneys play an important role in the regulation of blood pressure by adjusting the production of urine after eating or drinking. This process begins already in the upper digestive tract, which could explain why gastric bypass surgery for obesity also markedly reduce blood pressure, reveals a thesis from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.

The kidneys can quickly adjust the production of urine after consumption of food or drink, which is important so that the composition of bodily fluids and the blood does not vary too much.

"My research shows that this elimination of urine starts already when salt and water reach the upper part of the digestive tract," says researcher Peter Hallersund from the Sahlgrenska Academy. "So there's a link between this part of the body and renal elimination."

The thesis includes a study of 1,750 patients who underwent one of two types of obesity operations -- gastric bypass or gastric banding. The results show that the elimination of urine increases after gastric bypass surgery. This can be explained by the fact that food and drink no longer come into contact with the upper part of the digestive tract, thus breaking the link between this part of the digestive system and the kidneys.

"We saw a long-term reduction in blood pressure after gastric bypass surgery, which could also be directly linked to the increase in patient's daily amount of urine after the operation," says Hallersund. "The gastric bypass probably reduces blood pressure in the same way as diuretic blood pressure medication."

After ten years the decreased blood pressure following a gastric bypass was not related to the reduced weight and was markedly larger than after gastric banding. Dr Hallersund believes that this could be important when deciding between surgical methods for people who are overweight and have high blood pressure.

"A more unexpected finding in this study was that consumption of salty food increased after gastric bypass surgery, even though blood pressure went down. We think that this is because the operation also bypasses a link between the upper digestive tract and the brain which is important for suppressing our appetite for salt."


Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Gothenburg. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. P. Hallersund, A. Elfvin, H. F. Helander, L. Fandriks. The expression of renin-angiotensin system components in the human gastric mucosa. Journal of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System, 2011; 12 (1): 54 DOI: 10.1177/1470320310379066

Cite This Page:

University of Gothenburg. "Gastric bypass reduces blood pressure, Swedish research finds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 7 September 2011. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907085354.htm>.
University of Gothenburg. (2011, September 7). Gastric bypass reduces blood pressure, Swedish research finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907085354.htm
University of Gothenburg. "Gastric bypass reduces blood pressure, Swedish research finds." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110907085354.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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