The Effect of Bariatric Surgery on Homocysteine Levels: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Homocysteine is an amino acid generated during the metabolism of methionine, which is an essential amino acid. Elevated levels of homocysteine are identified as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Bariatric surgery is known to lower the risk of CVD. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to assess the effect of bariatric surgery on circulating homocysteine levels. Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in 4 databases. The meta-analysis utilized Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) V4 software. The overall effect size was evaluated using a random-effects model along with a leave-one-out approach. Results: The random-effects meta-analysis of 18 studies involving 1576 participants revealed a nonsignificant increase in serum homocysteine levels post bariatric surgery (WMD: 0.319, 95% CI: −0.208 to 0.847, 95% PI: −1.862 to 2.501, P =0.235; I 2 =96.45%). In subanalyses, there were no significant variations in homocysteine levels based on the duration of follow-up. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that bariatric surgery does not lead to significant changes in homocysteine levels, and this conclusion remains consistent regardless of the time elapsed since the procedure.