Clinical practice guidelines for perioperative care in bariatric surgery 2023: Adapted ERAS (enhanced recovery after surgery) guidelines with consensual voting of the working group of the Joint Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Section of the Czech Surgery .

INTRODUCTION: Currently, bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for the morbid obesity. It provides sustained weight loss as well as demonstrated positive effects on obesity-related comorbidities. The number of procedures performed worldwide has seen a sharp increase in the past twenty years. Therefore, an effort has been developed to establish a consensus in perioperative care based on best evidence. METHODS: The working group of the Joint Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Section of the Czech Surgery Society and Czech Society of Obesitology prepared clinical practice guidelines for the ERAS (enhanced recovery after surgery) concept in perioperative care in bariatric surgery. The working group based its guidelines on ERAS guidelines published in 2021. The working group adopted the original text and then adapted the text and added its comments to specific items as appropriate. Electronic voting of all members of the working group was the final phase, by which the strength of consensus was expressed with respect to individual elements of the guidelines. RESULTS: The Czech working group reached a consensus with ERABS (enhanced recovery after bariatric surgery) guidelines for most elements. The quality of evidence is low for some interventions of the ERAS protocol for bariatric surgery. Therefore, extrapolation from other surgeries and fields is needed for evidence-based practice. CONCLUSION: The guidelines are intended for clinical practice in bariatric surgery with the ERAS protocol based on updated evidence and guidelines. It is based on recent and comprehensive ERAS guidelines adopted and adapted by the Czech working group of the Joint Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Section of the Czech Surgery Society and Czech Society of Obesitology. Some supplementations and specifications are reflected in comments added to the Czech version.

Increased Number of Mast Cells in Epicardial Adipose Tissue of Cardiac Surgery Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.

Chronic inflammation of adipose tissue is associated with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Mast cells represent an important component of the innate defense system of the organism. In our work, we quantified mast cell number in epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and right atrial myocardium (RA) in patients undergoing open heart surgery (n=57). Bioptic samples of EAT (n=44), SAT (n=42) and RA (n=17) were fixed by 4 % paraformaldehyde and embedded into paraffin. An anti-mast cell tryptase antibody was used for immunohistochemical detection and quantification of mast cells. We also demonstrated immunohistochemically the expression of CD117 and chymase markers. In EAT of patients with coronary artery disease (CAD), higher incidence of mast cells has been found compared to patients without CAD (3.7±2.6 vs. 2.1±1.2 cells/mm(2)). In SAT and RA, there was no difference in the number of mast cells in CAD and non-CAD patients. Mast cells in SAT, EAT and RA expressed CD117 and chymase. An increased incidence of mast cells in EAT of CAD patients may indicate the specific role of these inflammatory cells in relation to EAT and coronary arteries affected by atherosclerosis.

Metabolic cardio- and reno-protective effects of empagliflozin in a prediabetic rat model.

The mechanisms behind the cardiovascular and renal benefits of empagliflozin is not fully understood. The positive impact of the medication on cardiovascular mortality can not be solely attributed to its antidiabetic effect, with a metabolic mechanism possibly involved. To investigate the metabolic effects of empagliflozin treatment (10 mg/kg/day for 6 weeks), we used an adult male rat model with serious vascular complications associated with metabolic syndrome and prediabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance, severe albuminuria and impaired insulin sensitivity were induced by intragastric administration of methylglyoxal and high sucrose diet feeding for four months. Although empagliflozin decreased body weight, non-fasting glucose and insulin, glucagon levels remained unchanged. In addition, empagliflozin increased adiponectin levels (+40%; p < 0.01) and improved skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity. Increased non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) in empagliflozin-treated rats is understood to generate ketone bodies. Empagliflozin increased ß-hydroxybutyrate levels in serum (+66%; p < 0.05) and the myocardium (30%; p < 0.01), suggesting its possible involvement as an alternative substrate for metabolism. Empagliflozin switched substrate utilisation in the myocardium, diverting glucose oxidation to fatty acid oxidation. Representing another favorable effect, empagliflozin also contributed to decreased uric acid plasma levels (-19%; p < 0.05). In the kidney cortex, empagliflozin improved oxidative and dicarbonyl stress parameters and increased gene expression of ß-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase, an enzyme involved in ketone body utilisation. In addition, empagliflozin decreased microalbuminuria (-27%; p < 0.01) and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) excretion (-29%; p < 0.01). Our results reveal the important systemic metabolic effect of empagliflozin on alterations in substrate utilisation and on increased ketone body use in prediabetic rats. Improved oxidative and dicarbonyl stress and decreased uric acid are also possibly involved in the cardio- and reno-protective effects of empagliflozin.

European Society of Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Endocrine work-up in obesity.

Obesity is an emerging condition, with a prevalence of ~20%. Although the simple measurement of BMI is likely a simplistic approach to obesity, BMI is easily calculated, and there are currently no data showing that more sophisticated methods are more useful to guide the endocrine work-up in obesity. An increased BMI leads to a number of hormonal changes. Additionally, concomitant hormonal diseases can be present in obesity and have to be properly diagnosed - which in turn might be more difficult due to alterations caused by body fatness itself. The present European Society of Endocrinology Clinical Guideline on the Endocrine Work-up in Obesity acknowledges the increased prevalence of many endocrine conditions in obesity. It is recommended to test all patients with obesity for thyroid function, given the high prevalence of hypothyroidism in obesity. For hypercortisolism, male hypogonadism and female gonadal dysfunction, hormonal testing is only recommended if case of clinical suspicion of an underlying endocrine disorder. The guideline underlines that weight loss in obesity should be emphasized as key to restoration of hormonal imbalances and that treatment and that the effect of treating endocrine disorders on weight loss is only modest.

Prevalence of endocrine disorders in obese patients: systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The increasing prevalence of obesity is expected to promote the demand for endocrine testing. To facilitate evidence guided testing, we aimed to assess the prevalence of endocrine disorders in patients with obesity. The review was carried out as part of the Endocrine Work-up for the Obesity Guideline of the European Society of Endocrinology. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature. METHODS: A search was performed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and COCHRANE Library for original articles assessing the prevalence of hypothyroidism, hypercortisolism, hypogonadism (males) or hyperandrogenism (females) in patients with obesity. Data were pooled in a random-effects logistic regression model and reported with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). RESULTS: Sixty-eight studies were included, concerning a total of 19.996 patients with obesity. The pooled prevalence of overt (newly diagnosed or already treated) and subclinical hypothyroidism was 14.0% (95% CI: 9.7-18.9) and 14.6% (95% CI: 9.2-20.9), respectively. Pooled prevalence of hypercortisolism was 0.9% (95% CI: 0.3-1.6). Pooled prevalence of hypogonadism when measuring total testosterone or free testosterone was 42.8% (95% CI: 37.6-48.0) and 32.7% (95% CI: 23.1-43.0), respectively. Heterogeneity was high for all analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of endocrine disorders in patients with obesity is considerable, although the underlying mechanisms are complex. Given the cross-sectional design of the studies included, no formal distinction between endocrine causes and consequences of obesity could be made.

Increased intestinal permeability in patients with short bowel syndrome is not affected by parenteral nutrition.

The aim of our study was to assess the presence and degree of intestinal leakage in subjects suffering from short bowel syndrome (SBS) and its modification by parenteral nutrition. To this end we assessed circulating levels of selected makers of intestinal permeability including zonulin, fatty acid binding protein 2 (FABP-2), citrulline and glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2). We also measured lipopolysaccharide binding protein (LBP) as a marker of circulating levels of lipopolysaccharide acting through the CD14 molecule. Eleven SBS and 10 age- and BMI-matched control subjects were included into the study. The effect of parenteral nutrition was assessed after 14 days, 6 and 12 months from its initiation, respectively. At baseline, SBS patients had increased gut permeability as measured by zonulin (47.24+/-2.14 vs. 39.48+/-1.20 ng/ml, p=0.006) and LBP (30.32+/-13.25 vs. 9.77+/-0.71 microg/ml, p<0.001) compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, SBS subjects had reduced FABP-2, unchanged citrulline and increased sCD14 and GLP-2 relative to control group. Throughout the whole study period the administered parenteral nutrition had no significant effect on any of the studied parameters. Taken together, our data show that patients with short bowel syndrome have increased intestinal permeability that is not affected by parenteral nutrition.

Insulin-like growth factor axis in pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus.

The insulin-like growth factor (IGF) is involved in the regulation of growth and metabolism. The aim of this study was to determine selected parameters of IGF system at systemic and local levels [subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT)] to assess its possible role in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). 37 pregnant women (21 with GDM and 16 without GDM) and 15 age-matched non-pregnant females were included in the study. Blood samples were taken in 28-32 and 36-38 weeks of gestation and 6-12 months after delivery. SAT and VAT samples were obtained during delivery or surgery. Compared with non-pregnant women, serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were increased in both groups of pregnant women. IGF-2 was elevated only in GDM women from 36 weeks of gestation culminating 6 months after delivery (p=0.003). Serum IGFBP-3 was increased and IGFBP-4 decreased in GDM women vs. pregnant women without GDM during the whole study (IGFBP-3: p?0.001 for GDM vs. non-GDM; IGFBP-4: p=0.004 for GDM vs. non-GDM). Pregnant women with GDM had decreased mRNA expression of IGF-1, IGF-1R and IGF-2R and IGFBP-4 in VAT and IGF-1R in SAT compared to pregnant women without GDM. Changes in local activity of IGF are associated with the development of GDM.

Bariatric/metabolic surgery: the diabetologists view.

Bariatric surgery is a traditional method used for the treatment of higher degrees of obesity. Emerging evidence suggests that it also represents a very efficacious approach to the treatment of metabolic complications of obesity, in particular type 2 diabetes mellitus. In this paper, we summarize the results of the studies exploring the influence of bariatric surgery on the metabolic complications of obesity and discuss possible mecha-nism behind the improvements or remission of diabetes after bariatric surgery. We also discuss the results of recently published studies directly comparing the efficacy of bariatric surgery and intensive pharmacological treatment of diabetes. New consensus concerning the position of baria-tric surgery in the treatment algorithm of type 2 diabetes is also covered in detail along with practical aspects of the preparation of patients for bariatric surgery and their long-term follow-up after the operation.

Changes in plasma concentrations and mRNA expression of hepatokines fetuin A, fetuin B and FGF21 in physiological pregnancy and gestational diabetes mellitus.

We measured plasma concentrations, adipose tissue and placental mRNA expression of hepatokines fetuin A, fetuin B and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in 12 healthy pregnant women (P group), 12 pregnant women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and 10 healthy non-pregnant women (N group) to explore their potential role in the etiopathogenesis of GDM. GDM and P group had comparable BMI, C-reactive protein (CRP) and glycated hemoglobin levels while IL-10 and TNF-alpha levels were higher in GDM group. Fetuin A and fetuin B levels were higher in pregnancy as compared to N group and decreased after delivery with no apparent influence of GDM. In contrast, the pattern of changes of circulating FGF21 levels differed between GDM and P group. Fetuin A concentrations positively correlated with CRP, TNF-alpha mRNA expression in adipose tissue and IL-6 mRNA expression in placenta. Fetuin B positively correlated with CRP. FGF21 levels correlated positively with IFN-gamma mRNA in adipose tissue and inversely with IL-8 mRNA in the placenta. Taken together, fetuin A and fetuin B levels were increased during pregnancy regardless of the presence of GDM. In contrast, FGF21 patterns differed between healthy pregnant women and GDM patients suggesting a possible role of this hepatokine in the etiopathogenesis of GDM.

Changes in omentin levels and its mRNA expression in epicardial adipose tissue in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery: the influence of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.

Omentin is a protein produced by numerous tissues including adipose tissue. Its concentrations are decreased in patients with obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and coronary artery disease (CAD). Experimental studies suggest that omentin may have anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties. In the present study, we measured circulating omentin levels and its mRNA expression in epicardial and subcutaneous fat, intercostal and heart muscle before and after elective cardiac surgery in patients with CAD (CAD+, DM-, n=18), combination of CAD and DM (CAD+, DM+, n=9) or with none of these conditions (CAD-, DM-, n=11). The groups did not differ in baseline anthropometric and biochemical characteristics with the exception of higher blood glucose and HBA(1c) in CAD+, DM+ group. Baseline circulating omentin levels tended to be lower in CAD+, DM- and CAD+, DM+ groups as compared to CAD-, DM- group and cardiac surgery increased its concentration only in CAD-, DM- group. The change in serum omentin levels during surgery inversely correlated with epicardial fat thickness. While baseline omentin mRNA expression did not differ among the groups in any of the studied tissues, its increase after surgery was present only in subcutaneous fat in CAD-, DM- and CAD+, DM- groups, but not in CAD+, DM+ group. Intercostal muscle omentin mRNA expression increased after surgery only in CAD-, DM- group. In conclusion, cardiac surgery differentially affects omentin levels and subcutaneous fat and skeletal muscle mRNA expression in patients without coronary artery disease and diabetes as compared to patients with these conditions.

Circadian leptin concentration changes in critically ill heart failure patients.

Physiologically, leptin concentration is controlled by circadian rhythm. However, in critically ill patients, circadian rhythm is disrupted. Thus we hypothesized that circadian leptin concentration changes are not preserved in critically ill patients. Ten consecutive critically ill heart failure patients with the clinical indication for mechanical ventilation and sedation were included into our study. Plasma leptin concentration was measured every 4 h during the first day (0-24 h) and during the third day (48-72 h) after admission. During the first day, there were significant leptin concentration changes (ANOVA, p<0.05), characterized by an increase in concentration by 44 % (16-58 %); p=0.02 around noon (10 am-2 pm) and then a decrease in concentration by 7 % (1-27 %); p=0.04 in the morning (2 am-6 am). In contrast, there was no significant change in leptin concentration during the third day after admission (ANOVA, p=0.79). Based on our preliminary results, we concluded that in critically ill heart failure patients, the circadian rhythm of plasma leptin concentration seems to be preserved during the first but not during the third day after admission.

Metformin attenuates myocardium dicarbonyl stress induced by chronic hypertriglyceridemia.

Reactive dicarbonyls stimulate production of advanced glycation endproducts, increase oxidative stress and inflammation and contribute to the development of vascular complications. We measured concentrations of dicarbonyls - methylglyoxal (MG), glyoxal (GL) and 3-deoxyglucosone (3-DG) - in the heart and kidney of a model of metabolic syndrome - hereditary hypertriglyceridemic rats (HHTg) and explored its modulation by metformin. Adult HHTg rats were fed a standard diet with or without metformin (300 mg/kg b.w.) and dicarbonyl levels and metabolic parameters were measured. HHTg rats had markedly elevated serum levels of triacylglycerols (p<0.001), FFA (p<0.01) and hepatic triacylglycerols (p<0.001) along with increased concentrations of reactive dicarbonyls in myocardium (MG: p<0.001; GL: p<0.01; 3-DG: p<0.01) and kidney cortex (MG: p<0.01). Metformin treatment significantly reduced reactive dicarbonyls in the myocardium (MG: p<0.05, GL: p<0.05, 3-DG: p<0.01) along with increase of myocardial concentrations of reduced glutathione (p<0.01) and glyoxalase 1 mRNA expression (p<0.05). Metformin did not have any significant effect on dicarbonyls, glutathione or on glyoxalase 1 expression in kidney cortex. Chronically elevated hypertriglyceridemia was associated with increased levels of dicarbonyls in heart and kidney. Beneficial effects of metformin on reactive dicarbonyls and glyoxalase in the heart could contribute to its cardioprotective effects.

Pitfalls in screening for gestational diabetes in the Czech Republic - patient survey.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of our survey was to investigate gestational diabetes (GDM) screening policy in the Czech Republic with regards to the correct methodology of the screening. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 1100 anonymous questionnaires were distributed among patients of a tertiary level obstetric department from July 2015 to September 2015. RESULTS: 958 (87.0%) questionnaires were found eligible for analysis. 794 (82.9%) of participants had at least one risk factor for GDM development. The oGTT was performed in 751 (94.6%) women at risk of GDM and 153 (93.3%) women at low risk of GDM. From the 904 performed oGTT, 154 (17.0%) were performed completely by recommended standards. In the remaining cases, at least one deviation from standard was noted. The results of oGTT were provided by 364 (40.3%) of respondents. In this subgroup, 71 (19.5%) matched International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria for GDM diagnosis. However, these women were often not those who were evaluated as screening positive by the office gynaecologist. CONCLUSION: The screening for GDM was frequently not performed in accordance with the national guidelines and the diagnostic criteria used were not uniform.

Specific metabolic characteristics of women with former gestational diabetes: the importance of adipose tissue.

Women with a positive history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) face a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and metabolic syndrome later in life. The higher risk of these metabolic complications is closely associated with adipose tissue. In this review, the importance of adipose tissue is discussed in relation to GDM, focusing on both the quantity of fat deposits and the metabolic activity of adipose tissue in particular periods of life: neonatal age, childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy followed by nursing. Preventive measures based on body composition and lifestyle habits with special attention to the beneficial effects of breastfeeding are also discussed.

The effect of very-low-calorie diet on mitochondrial dysfunction in subcutaneous adipose tissue and peripheral monocytes of obese subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a potentially important player in the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We investigated the changes of mRNA expression of genes encoding main enzymatic complexes of mitochondrial respiratory chain in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) and peripheral monocytes (PM) of 11 subjects with simple obesity (OB), 16 obese patients with T2DM and 17 healthy lean subjects (C) before and after very low-calorie diet (VLCD) using quantitative real time PCR. At baseline in SCAT, both T2DM and OB group had decreased mRNA expression of all investigated mitochondrial genes with the exception of 2 complex I (NDUFA 12) and complex IV (COX 4/1) enzymes in OB subjects. In contrast, in PM only the expression of complex I enzymes NDUFA 12 and MT-ND5 was reduced in both T2DM and OB subjects along with decreased expression of citrate synthase (CS) in T2DM group. Additionally, T2DM subjects showed reduced activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase and complex IV in peripheral blood elements. VLCD further decreased mRNA expression of CS and complex I (NT-ND5) and II (SDHA) enzymes in SCAT and complex IV (COX4/1) and ATP synthase in PM of T2DM group, while increasing the activity of complex IV in their peripheral blood elements. We conclude that impaired mitochondrial biogenesis and decreased activity of respiratory chain enzymatic complexes was present in SCAT and PM of obese and diabetic patients. VLCD improved metabolic parameters and ameliorated mitochondrial oxidative function in peripheral blood elements of T2DM subjects but had only minor and inconsistent effect on mitochondrial gene mRNA expression in SCAT and PM.

An alternatively activated macrophage marker CD163 in severely obese patients: the influence of very low-calorie diet and bariatric surgery.

CD163 is a marker of macrophages with anti-inflammatory properties and its soluble form (sCD163) is considered a prognostic predictor of several diseases including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We explored sCD163 levels at baseline and after very low-calorie diet (VLCD) or bariatric surgery in 32 patients with obesity (20 undergoing VLCD and 12 bariatric surgery), 32 obese patients with T2DM (22 undergoing VLCD and 10 bariatric surgery), and 19 control subjects. We also assessed the changes of CD163 positive cells of monocyte-macrophage lineage in peripheral blood and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in subset of patients. Plasma sCD163 levels were increased in obese and T2DM subjects relative to control subjects (467.2+/-40.2 and 513.8+/-37.0 vs. 334.4+/-24.8 ng/ml, p=0.001) and decreased after both interventions. Obesity decreased percentage of CD163+CD14+ monocytes in peripheral blood compared to controls (78.9+/-1.48 vs. 86.2+/-1.31 %, p=0.003) and bariatric surgery decreased CD163+CD14+HLA-DR+ macrophages in SAT (19.4+/-2.32 vs. 11.3+/-0.90 %, p=0.004). Our data suggest that increased basal sCD163 levels are related to obesity and its metabolic complications. On the contrary, sCD163 or CD163 positive cell changes do not precisely reflect metabolic improvements after weight loss.

Plasma concentrations and subcutaneous adipose tissue mRNA expression of clusterin in obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus: the effect of short-term hyperinsulinemia, very-low-calorie diet and bariatric surgery.

Clusterin is a heterodimeric glycoprotein with wide range of functions. To further explore its possible regulatory role in energy homeostasis and in adipose tissue, we measured plasma clusterin and its mRNA expression in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) of 15 healthy lean women, 15 obese women (OB) and 15 obese women with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who underwent a 2-week very low-calorie diet (VLCD), 10 obese women without T2DM who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and 8 patients with T2DM, 8 patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 8 normoglycemic patients who underwent hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (HEC). VLCD decreased plasma clusterin in OB but not in T2DM patients while LSG and HEC had no effect. Clusterin mRNA expression in SCAT at baseline was increased in OB and T2DM patients compared with controls. Clusterin mRNA expression decreased 6 months after LSG and remained decreased 12 months after LSG. mRNA expression of clusterin was elevated at the end of HEC compared with baseline only in normoglycemic but not in IGT or T2DM patients. In summary, our data suggest a possible local regulatory role for clusterin in the adipose tissue rather than its systemic involvement in the regulation of energy homeostasis.

The possible role of mRNA expression changes of GH/IGF-1/insulin axis components in subcutaneous adipose tissue in metabolic disturbances of patients with acromegaly.

We explored the effect of chronically elevated circulating levels of growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like-growth-factor-1 (IGF-1) on mRNA expression of GH/IGF-1/insulin axis components and p85alpha subunit of phosphoinositide-3-kinase (p85alpha) in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SCAT) of patients with active acromegaly and compared these findings with healthy control subjects in order to find its possible relationships with insulin resistance and body composition changes. Acromegaly group had significantly decreased percentage of truncal and whole body fat and increased homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR). In SCAT, patients with acromegaly had significantly increased IGF-1 and IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) expression that both positively correlated with serum GH. P85alpha expression in SCAT did not differ from control group. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 expression in SCAT were not independently associated with percentage of truncal and whole body fat or with HOMA-IR while IGFBP-3 expression in SCAT was an independent predictor of insulin receptor as well as of p85alpha expression in SCAT. Our data suggest that GH overproduction in acromegaly group increases IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 expression in SCAT while it does not affect SCAT p85alpha expression. Increased IGF-1 or IGFBP-3 in SCAT of acromegaly group do not appear to contribute to systemic differences in insulin sensitivity but may have local regulatory effects in SCAT of patients with acromegaly.

No change in serum incretins levels but rise of leptin levels after smoking cessation: a pilot study.

The mechanisms behind the changes of body weight after smoking cessation are only partially understood. To this end, we explored the possible effects of smoking cessation on incretin hormones, leptin and selected anthropometric, biochemical and other hormonal parameters. Twenty-two non-obese male adult smokers attending an ambulatory smoking cessation program in Prague, Czech Republic, were examined at the baseline. Thirteen patients (mean age 37.92+/-2.66 years, mean body mass index 25.56+/-0.69 kg/m(2)) successfully quit smoking and were examined three months after smoking cessation; relapsed smokers were not followed up. The patients underwent 2-h liquid meal test with Fresubin and repeated blood sampling for measurements of blood glucose, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), amylin, insulin, leptin, peptide-YY (PYY) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP). Three months after smoking cessation, body weight increased (4.35+/-3.32 kg, p<0.001). Leptin levels increased significantly in all repeated samples, while levels of GIP, GLP-1, amylin, insulin, PYY and PP remained unchanged. In conclusions, smoking cessation increased leptin levels probably owing to weight gain while it did not influence incretin levels.