How weight-loss surgery improves heart and metabolic health

Defining the pathways of cardiometabolic health after weight loss

['FUNDING_R01'] · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · NIH-11248848

This research looks at biological changes after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass to understand how the surgery helps adults with obesity reduce diabetes and heart disease risk.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorCOLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES (nih funded)
Locations1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11248848 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If you have obesity and are considering or have had weight-loss surgery, this project follows people who undergo Roux-en-Y gastric bypass to see what biological changes happen after the operation. Researchers will collect samples such as blood and stool and measure hormones, bile acids, metabolites, gut tissue signals, and the microbiome over time to link those changes to improvements in diabetes and heart risk. They will compare patterns across people to find common pathways that might explain why some patients get larger, longer-lasting benefits than others. Findings could point to tests that predict outcomes or to new treatments that reproduce the surgery's benefits without an operation.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults with obesity, particularly those considering or who have had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or who have type 2 diabetes or high cardiovascular risk, would be the ideal candidates.

Not a fit: People without obesity or those not undergoing weight-loss surgery are unlikely to get direct benefit from this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could identify biological signals that predict who benefits most from surgery and reveal targets for new therapies to lower diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

How similar studies have performed: Prior work shows bariatric surgery often improves diabetes and heart risk and has linked changes in hormones, bile acids, and the microbiome, but mapping the full set of pathways in humans remains incomplete.

Where this research is happening

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus, Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.