Intestinal Calcium Absorption Decreases Dramatically After Gastric Bypass Surgery Despite Optimization of Vitamin D Status.

What Was Tested

This clinical trial looks at Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery has negative effects on bone, mediated in part by effects on nutrient absorption.

Not only can RYGB result in vitamin D malabsorption, but the bypassed duodenum and proximal jejunum are also the predominant sites of active, transcellular, 1,25(OH)2 D-mediated calcium (Ca) uptake.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 33 adults taking part.

The age groups tagged for this paper are adults, middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

How the Study Was Run

FCA was measured preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively with a dual stable isotope method.

What Was Measured

However, Ca absorption occurs throughout the intestine, and those who undergo RYGB might maintain sufficient Ca absorption, particularly if vitamin D status and Ca intake are robust.

Other measures included calciotropic hormones, bone turnover markers, and BMD by DXA and QCT.

Topics PubMed links to this paper include Bone Remodeling, Calcium, Gastric Bypass, Intestinal Absorption and Vitamin D.

The authors tagged it with the keywords BARIATRIC SURGERY, BIOCHEMICAL MARKERS OF BONE TURNOVER, CALCIUM ABSORPTION, GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY and NUTRITION.

What This Means in Plain Language

This is a clinical trial of Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc in 33 adults.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The publication is from 2015 (Journal of bone and mineral research : the official journal of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research), a journal based in England.

More context: the Vitamin D, K2, Magnesium and Zinc compound page, all human trials.