A risk factor is something that makes a person more likely to have a particular medical problem. This article is about obesity being a risk factor for Covid-19.
Many know that the common risk factors of severe Covid-19 have been advanced age and underlying medical problems.
These medical problems are hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The underlying problem for many in all four is a metabolic syndrome that stems from obesity.
Obesity is usually defined by the Body Mass Index. You may want to calculate your BMI and know if you are obese using this Department of Health & Human Services calculator.
The Study about Obesity as Risk Factor for Covid-19
A research was made in admitted Covid-19 patients in New York to define if obesity is a risk factor for the development of life-threatening Covid-19 infection.
The < 60 years with a BMI of 30-34 were 2 times more likely to be admitted to either the intensive care unit (ICU) or to acute care compared to individuals with a BMI <30.
For those <60 years with a BMI of ≥ 35, they were 2.2 to 3.6 times more likely to be admitted to acute and critical care compared to patients in the same age group with a BMI <30.
People get admitted to acute care if they are too weak to go home, cannot eat or drink, need medical observation or intravenous fluids and medications.
ICU patients usually have unstable vital signs and need closer monitoring and more aggressive intervention. Those are mechanical ventilators or medicines to “normalize” the blood pressure and the heart rate.
What is the use of the study?
The report is the first study that has shown a greater tendency to develop critical Covid-19 with obesity.
Obesity is present in 40% of US adults. The metabolic syndrome goes hand-in-hand with obesity, and both can lead to cardiovascular diseases like strokes and heart attacks, and many others.
Some people are unable to see a physician regularly. Many of them may be unaware that they have hypertension, diabetes, or heart disease. All are risk factors for a life-threatening Covid-19 illness.
Losing weight can lower the chances of being seriously ill with Covid-19 and also lessen the risk of developing other common medical problems in the long run.
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References:
Jennifer Lighter, MD, Michael Phillips, MD, Sarah Hochman, MD, Stephanie Sterling, MD, Diane Johnson, MD, Fritz Francois, MD, Anna Stachel, MPH, Obesity in patients younger than 60 years is a risk factor for Covid-19 hospital admission, Clinical Infectious Diseases, ciaa415, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciaa415.
Ogden, C.L., et al., Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults, by Household Income and
Education – United States, 2011-2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 2017. 66(50):
p. 1369-1373.
Image Credit: BMI By BruceBlaus – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44922550
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