Erythrocyte deformability in morbid obesity before bariatric surgery. Influence of abdominal obesity.

Although there are several studies dealing with erythrocyte deformability (ED) in obese patients, research on this topic in morbidly obese subjects is scarce. In these studies ED seems to be decreased, although the cause remains unknown. A case-control study in 76 morbid obese subjects (23 women and 53 men, aged 44 ± 13 years) and in 79 normal-weight controls (30 women and 49 men, aged 43 ± 13 years) was undertaken. ED has been determined by ektacytometric techniques in a Rheodyn SSD, by means of the elongation index (EI) at 12, 30 and 60 Pascals, along with anthropometric, lipidic, metabolic and inflammatory parameters. EI was statistically lower in morbidly obese subjects than in controls…