Obesity and Mortality Among Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19: Results From an Integrated Health Care Organization
Study (n=6,916) concludes that obesity plays a profound role in risk for death from COVID-19, particularly in male patients and younger populations; and data highlight the leading role of severe obesity over correlated risk factors, providing a target for early intervention.
Source:
Annals of Internal Medicine
Resource links:
Anderson et al. Body Mass Index and Risk for Intubation or Death in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
SPS commentary:
Compared with patients with a BMI of 18.5 to 24 kg/m2 (classified as normal BMI), those with BMIs of 40 to 44 kg/m2 and greater than 45 kg/m2 (obese class III or extreme obesity) had relative risks of 2.68 (95% CI, 1.43 to 5.04) and 4.18 (CI, 2.12 to 8.26), respectively.
Authors’ of a related commentary state the consistency of this new study and prior research (including a study by Anderson and colleagues titled 'Body Mass Index and Risk for Intubation or Death in SARS-CoV-2 Infection') should put to rest the contention that obesity is common in severe COVID-19 because it is common in the population. They state obesity is an important independent risk factor for serious COVID-19 disease and that the risks are higher in younger patients is probably not because obesity is particularly damaging in this age group; it is more likely that other serious comorbidities that evolve later in life take over as dominant risk factors. Finally, authors’ suggest the fact males are particularly affected may reflect their greater visceral adiposity over females, given that this fat is notably pro-inflammatory and contributes to metabolic and vascular disease.