Cortisol/DHEA ratio in morbidly obese patients before and after bariatric surgery: Relation to metabolic parameters and cardiovascular performance

Introduction Bariatric surgery (BS) is the most effective therapy for morbid obesity. Cortisol and DHEA are steroid hormones with opposing effects, thus using Cortisol/DHEA ratio (C/D) rather than the use of either hormone alone has been found to predict health outcomes more reliably. It was interesting to study C/D as an indicator of favorable metabolic and cardiovascular outcomes after BS. Objective To assess C/D in morbidly obese patients before and after BS in relation to metabolic parameters and cardiovascular performance. Patients and methods Forty morbidly obese patients were followed prospectively for 1 year after BS. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting insulin (FI), C/D, lipid profile, high-sensitive CRP (hs-CRP), and echocardiography were done before BS and at 3 months and 1 year post BS. Results A total of 40 morbidly obese patients undergone sleeve gastrectomy. Blood pressure, FBG, FI, hs-CRP, C/D were significantly decreased after BS (p < 0.001). At 1 year post BS; significant reduction in left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPW) (p < 0.001), left ventricular mass (LVM) (p = 0.003), relative wall thickness (RWT) (p < 0.001) with a significant improvement in early diastolic velocity (E) (p < 0.001), early diastolic velocity/late diastolic velocity (E/A) (p = 0.01). After BS; C/D significantly positively correlated with FBG (p = 0.019), hs-CRP (p = 0.008), interventricular septum thickness (IVS) (p = 0.028), LVPW (p = 0.028), relative wall thickness (RWT) (p = 0.022), early diastolic velocity /early diastolic velocity (E ') measured by pulsed tissue Doppler imaging (E/E ') (p = 0.001), and significantly negatively correlated with E ' (p = 0.032). C/D was the single significant independent variable affecting E ' and E/E ' post BS. Conclusion C/D can be used as a surrogate marker of the improved FBG and the resolution of inflammation post BS. C/D is an independent predictor of diastolic function improvement post BS.