Weight loss surgery is very good at reducing body weight but it can also cause the loss of both muscle and strength. Some patients undergoing weight loss surgery do not achieve their weight loss goals and regain the weight they lost. When this occurs, the loss of muscle and strength combined with the regain of weight can impact the individual's quality of life and ability to remain active and mobile.
The purpose of this study is to understand the behavioral, biological, and genetic factors that influence the success of weight loss surgery and its impact on muscle mass.
Bariatric surgery patients participating in the trial will be monitored prior to, and for a year following weight loss surgery, with data collected about their eating habits, hand grip strength, and the loss of fat, muscle, and body weight following surgery. In patients who undergo a routine endoscopy in advance of weight loss surgery a small sample of gut tissue will be collected to identify the expression (activity) of genes in their DNA.
Age: 18 to 65 years at time of consent
BMI: 35-65 kg.m-2
Scheduled to undergo bariatric surgery at UTMB
All races and ethnic backgrounds
Fails the medical criteria for bariatric surgery.
Anemia (hematocrit < 33 % or donated blood in the past 12 weeks.)
Recent (5 years or less) history of cancer
Systemic steroids or immunosuppressant use for 8 or more consecutive days in the past 6 months, or any use of anabolic steroids or growth hormones in the same period.