Chronic Systemic Inflammation Measured by Bioimpedance Technology Before and After Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Feasibility Study.

Stress induces obesity, while extreme obesity causes stress, anxiety, and even depression. Yet, knowledge on the underlying mechanism(s) has many gaps. To this end, we designed a feasibility study, focused on 18 bariatric patients recruited by the First Propaideutic Department of Surgery at the Hippokration University Hospital in Athens, Greece. The patients (aged 23-58 y, weight 101-185.4 kg before surgery) were weighted and evaluated by advanced bioimpedance technology 2-3 days before surgery at the Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens. We employed Bioimpedance Electrolytic Extracellular Tomography (Tomeex), which characterizes (a) neurodegenerative responsiveness to stress, (b) sensory and autonomic tones by basal extracellular conductance (BEC), and (c) activity of limbic and cortical brain areas. The patients' mean body weight loss after 6 months was 48.8 ± 3.1Kg, while stress levels evaluated by appropriate questionnaires decreased (Spearman coefficient significance level p < 0.05). Anxiety and depressive symptoms decreased by 70%, accompanied by changes in measured sensory and autonomic tones (p = 0.003). Baseline blood markers, such as hsCRP and glucose, predicted lower abdominal inflammation (p = 0.034 and p = 0.058, respectively) 6 months postoperatively. In conclusion, chronic inflammation measures by bioimpedance are a useful non-invasive monitoring tool in bariatric surgery.