Figure 1

Scatter plot showing the correlation of baseline morning serum cortisol and weight regain at 24 months after bariatric surgery. Figure legend: This scatter plot illustrates the relationship between baseline morning serum cortisol levels and the percentage of maximum lost weight regained at 24 months after bariatric surgery. The data points represent individual patients, and the trend line indicates a positive correlation between the two variables. Spearman’s correlation analysis reveals a coefficient (ρ) of 0.25 (p < 0.01), suggesting that higher baseline morning serum cortisol levels are associated with a greater percentage of weight regain 2 years post-surgery.