Associations between body-mass index and COVID-19 severity in 6·9 million people in England: a prospective, community-based, cohort study
Study found at BMI >23kg/m2, there was linear increase (LI) in risk of severe COVID-19 leading to admission to hospital & death, and LI in admission to ICU across whole BMI range. This increased relative risk was particularly notable in people < 40 years and of Black ethnicity.
Source:
The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology
SPS commentary:
According to a commentary, people with a BMI > 40 kg/m2 were recognised early on in public health guidance as being at increased risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, and BMI is now being used in risk prediction tools that are informing vaccine prioritisation, highlighting the importance of obtaining a detailed understanding of the association between BMI and COVID-19 outcomes to inform policy. It highlights that key future research priorities will be to establish whether BMI affects vaccine efficacy, and to understand whether people outside the BMI range considered to be healthy (18·5–24·9 kg/m2) are at increased risk of post-COVID-19 sequelae.