Appetite Hormones Following Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass: What is the Magnitude of Change with Time?

Abstract

Background. Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is an effective treatment for obesity, where gut peptides such as ghrelin, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) play an instrumental role in reduced appetite after RYGB. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to establish the magnitude of change of ghrelin, GLP-1, PYY and appetite sensation following RYGB. Methods. A systematic search was conducted in Medline Ovid, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up until March 2021. Two independent reviewers screened articles for studies that evaluated ghrelin, GLP-1, PYY or appetite sensation via visual analogue scales (VAS) before and after RYGB in adults. Risk of bias was assessed with the quality assessment tool for before-after studies with no control group from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI). A multilevel model with random effects for study and follow-up time points nested in study was fit to the data. The model included kilocalorie consumption as a covariate and time points as moderators. Results. Among the 2,559 articles identified, 47 met the inclusion criteria, among which k=19 evaluated ghrelin, k=40 GLP-1, k=22 PYY and k=8 appetite sensation via VAS. Our results indicate that fasting ghrelin levels are decreased 2 weeks post-RYGB (p = .005) but do not differ from baseline from 6 weeks to 1-year post-RYGB. Postprandial ghrelin levels at 6 months and 1-year post-RYGB were not different from pre-surgical values (p = .51). Fasting GLP-1 levels were not different from pre-surgical levels up to 2 years post-RYGB. Postprandial levels of GLP-1 increased significantly from 1 week (p < .001) to 2 years post-RYGB (p < .01) compared to before surgery. Compared to pre-RYGB levels, fasting PYY increased at 6 months (p = .034) and 1 year (p = .0299) post-surgery and postprandial levels were increased up to 1 year (p < .01). Heterogeneity was significant in most analyses. Insufficient data on appetite sensation was available to be meta-analyzed. Conclusion. Our analyses illustrate the magnitude of change of ghrelin, GLP-1 and PYY before and after RYGB surgery. Importantly, between study heterogeneity within the current literature warrants more standardized protocols and studies with longer follow-up periods for better comprehension of changes in gut peptides following RYGB surgery.