Background: The authors assessed the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension,
dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome in patients with a high degree of obesi
ty.
Methods: A retrospective investigation was planned in a cohort of obese pat
ients with a wide range of body mass index (BMI) referred to a large Univer
sity Hospital for weight loss.
Results: An increase in prevalence of diabetes and hypertension with increa
se in the degree of obesity was observed, while the prevalence of dyslipide
mia and metabolic syndrome appeared to be Independent of the BMI values.
Conclusion: In severely obese patients a still unknown factor which affects
differently glucose and lipid metabolism cannot be excluded.