Gastric Bypass Surgery Might Reduce Dependence on Blood Pressure Medications

In obese patients with poorly controlled diabetes, bariatric surgery improves glycemic control and often leads to long-term remission of diabetes. The effect of bariatric surgery on hypertension has been less-well studied. At a single center in Brazil, researchers randomized 100 adult patients with hypertension and body-mass index between 30.0 and 39.9 kg/m² to undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) plus standardized medical therapy or medical therapy alone. At baseline, patients were treated with ≥2 antihypertensive drugs at maximal doses or ≥3 drugs at moderate doses. In previously published 1-year follow-up data from this trial, significantly more patients who had RYGB reached the primary outcome (84% vs. 13%) — reduction by at least 30…