WASHINGTON – Obese people hospitalized with COVID-19 have a significantly higher rate of ICU admissions and longer duration of ICU stays compared to people with normal body mass index (BMI), according to a study presented almost at ENDO 2021, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society.
“The link between obesity and a more intensive clinical course of COVID-19 highlights the vulnerability of this population during the routine pandemic and the need for public health efforts to prevent and treat obesity, in the conventional pandemics and beyond, ”said lead researcher Yu Mi Kang, MD, Ph.D., of Yale New Haven Health in New Haven, Conn.
More than 40% of Americans live with obesity, one of the main threats to COVID-19. Kang and colleagues wanted to test and explain the effects of obesity on the clinical course of COVID-19, compared to non-obese individuals.
The researchers analyzed data from 3,268 hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 at five hospitals within the Yale New Haven Health System between March and November 2020.
Among hospital patients, 43% were obese, 15.8% died, and 24.2% required ICU-level care. Patients with obesity were 26% more likely to require ICU care overall than patients without obesity. COVID-19 patients with higher body mass index (BMI) measurements were even more likely to require ICU care. People with high obesity, or a BMI of 40 or higher, were twice as likely to need ICU care compared to patients with a normal BMI. The study found no higher risk of death in obese people compared to those with a normal BMI.
“Our work reinforces the impact of obesity on the COVID-19 course and emphasizes the need to ensure that obesity is properly addressed for risk staging, vaccination protocols and COVID-19 management in hospital,” said Kang. .
###
Endocrinologists are at the heart of solving the most important health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the oldest and largest group of scientists dedicated to the study of hormones and physicians who care for people with hormone – related illnesses.
The Society has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at http: // www.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! they are not responsible for the accuracy of press releases posted to EurekAlert! by sending institutions or for using any information through the EurekAlert system.