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Can Bariatric Surgery Prevent Heart Attacks?

February 28, 2025

Being overweight doesn’t just make daily life more challenging — it can also put added strain on your heart. So, what can you do to protect your health and reduce your risk of a heart attack?

We asked Darren Tishler, MD, chief of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery at Hartford HealthCare, for his expert advice. Here’s what you need to know — and how to get started today.

When you’re overweight, your heart attack risk goes up.

That’s because being overweight has a close link to major adverse cardiac events (MACE). “These events include heart attacks, strokes and blood clots,” explains Dr. Tishler. “These are among the leading causes of death at a young age.”

Not to mention, carrying extra weight puts added strain on your heart.

“The heart has to work and pump harder,” says Dr. Tishler. “Over time, this extra effort can thicken the heart walls (hypertrophy), increasing the risk of heart problems down the line.”

Being overweight also makes it harder to stay active. And when reduced mobility combines with the extra strain on your heart, the risk of a heart attack goes up even more.

> Related: Bariatric Surgery Can Help With These 5 Conditions

Bariatric surgery helps lower the risk of heart attacks.

“Obesity is an inflammatory disease,” says Dr. Tishler. “It triggers inflammation in the body, a big factor in developing metabolic disease. It also keeps your body stuck in fight-or-flight mode, putting extra strain on your heart. Weight loss surgery helps reduce inflammation and calm this response, which lowers the risk of heart attacks and protects your heart.”

After bariatric surgery, many patients need fewer medications to manage high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

“Studies also show that weight loss surgery significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes and blood clots,” adds Dr. Tishler. “The reduction isn’t small — it’s substantial.”

Improvements in heart health after surgery start early.

Think you need to wait months to feel better after bariatric surgery? Think again.

“It happens much sooner than most people expect — often before they even need new clothes,” says Dr. Tishler. “With just a 5–10% loss in body weight, patients tell us they breathe easier climbing stairs, sweat less and no longer feel their heart racing during activity.”

These changes aren’t just noticeable — they’re life-changing.

“As people regain mobility, they can start exercising more,” adds Dr. Tishler. “This increased activity directly boosts cardiovascular health and reduces the risk of a heart attack.”

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When to see a doctor about your weight.

Your journey to better health starts with a conversation — especially if you have a family history or are at high risk.

“The sooner we start, the better,” says Dr. Tishler. “It’s never too early, and there are very few cases where we can’t reduce cardiovascular risk in some way. Even patients with heart disease — or those who’ve had a heart attack — may still be candidates for bariatric surgery or other obesity treatments.”

A team approach is the heart of weight loss. Surgeons, nutritionists, psychologists and cardiologists collaborate to find the right treatment for you, improving your health now and setting you up for long-term success.

“Bariatric surgery is so much more than weight loss — it’s about improving your quality of life and helping you live longer,” says Dr. Tishler. “What matters most is that you feel better — and it all starts with that first step today.”