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Metabolically Healthy Obesity and Bariatric Surgery

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Abstract

A peculiar category of persons with obesity lacking common metabolic disturbances has been depicted and termed as metabolically healthy obesity (MHO). Yet, although MHO patients are free of obesity-associated complications, they might not be entirely precluded from developing cardio-metabolic disorders. Among patients with morbid obesity (MO) who are referred to bariatric surgery, a subset of metabolically healthy MO (MHMO) has been identified and the question arises if these patients would benefit from surgery in terms of mitigating the peril of cardio-metabolic complications. We revisited the pathophysiological mechanisms that define MHO, the currently available data on the cardio-metabolic risk of these patients and finally we reviewed the benefits of bariatric surgery and the urge to better characterize MHMO before submission to surgery.

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Correspondence to Adriana Florinela Cătoi.

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Cătoi, A.F., Busetto, L. Metabolically Healthy Obesity and Bariatric Surgery. OBES SURG 29, 2989–3000 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-019-03964-8

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