Effect of beta-blocker therapy on weight loss outcomes after sleeve gastrectomy & Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Background: Patients taking beta-blockers (BBs) commonly experience weight gain. There is limited research exploring how BBs impact weight loss after bariatric surgery. Objectives: We examined how BBs impact 12-month weight loss in patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Setting: Large midwest health system. Methods: We reviewed health records of SG and RYGB patients (2011-2022) and categorized them by BB usage (none, pre-, post-, or pre- and postoperative). Multivariable linear regression models examined the relation between BB use, percent total body weight loss (%TBWL), and percent excess body mass index lost (%EBMIL). Results: A total of 889 individuals (SG, n = 485; RYGB, n = 404) had complete data. RYGB led to greater %TBWL compared to SG (31% versus 26%, P < .01) and greater %EBMIL (79% versus 64%, P < .01). BB status did not significantly affect 12-month %TBWL or %EBMIL. Conclusions: BB use may not significantly affect weight loss 12 months after bariatric surgery. This finding could enable physicians to prescribe BBs for improved blood pressure control in bariatric surgery patients with less concern of blunting weight loss. Longer term follow-up with a larger sample size would be an important next step to better characterize the relationship between BB usage and bariatric surgery.