Abstract Body: Background: Childhood obesity in the U.S. has been linked to a heightened prevalence of pediatric hypertension (HTN), which tracks into adulthood and increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity. While adult studies have demonstrated improvement in such comorbidities following metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS), there is insufficient data on HTN resolution post-MBS for pediatric populations.
Hypothesis: We anticipate our subjects will have hypertension resolution following MBS.
Methods: This retrospective chart review included 150 post-MBS patients from a multidisciplinary MBS program. Pre-MBS data was collected at enrollment and included participant’s weight, BMI, medical and psychological comorbidities, and social determinants of health. Patients with HTN at baseline were analyzed for resolution of hypertension at 12 months post-MBS.
Results: The study sample (mean age: 15.9 years; mean pre-MBS BMI: 49.5 kg/m2; 74% male, 65.3% White, 28.7% Black, and 6% other) had a HTN prevalence of 28.7% at baseline (N=43) and 12.7% at 12-month post-MBS. Nearly 10% of participants reported having no insurance (self-pay) while 8% experienced housing instability, 16.2% financial difficulties, 11.2% food insecurity, and 17% other barriers to care. Of the 43 participants with baseline HTN, 35.7% (N=18) experienced HTN Resolution by the 12-months post-MBS visit; 10 still reported having HTN at 12-months post-MBS, and 15 did not have this information available.
Conclusion: This study found that over a third of adolescents who underwent MBS reported HTN resolution by 12-months post MBS, thus highlighting the potential benefit MBS can have on HTN outcomes among pediatric populations with severe obesity. Future research should include longitudinal follow-ups to evaluate the long-term cardiometabolic effects of MBS on HTN outcomes among severely obese pediatric populations.