KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 27 — A new study from the US suggests that obesity increases the risk of death from Covid-19 by nearly 50 per cent and makes vaccines against the disease less effective.
This, according to the study, is due to a weakened immune system among obese people who are more vulnerable to catching Covid-19.
The study, a collaborative effort between the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, Saudi Health Council and World Bank, also found that the risks for people with obesity are greater than previously thought.
Using global data, scientists from UNC looked into data from 75 studies conducted between January and June involving 400,000 coronavirus patients.
They found obese people had a 46 per cent higher risk of catching Covid-19 than non-obese people, and a 113 per cent greater risk of hospitalisation.
“Among diagnosed Covid‐19 patients, the prevalence of individuals with obesity in hospitalised patients was much higher than that in non-hospitalised patients.
“For example, a report that included 5,700 patients with obesity in New York City showed that 41.7 per cent of Covid‐19 hospitalised patients were individuals with obesity, whereas the average prevalence of individuals with obesity in New York City was 22.0 per cent,” reads the study.
The study, published in the Journal of Obesity Reviews yesterday, also highlighted that people with obesity and Covid-19 were twice as likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit with 48 per cent greater risk of dying from the disease.
Based on the study’s findings, obesity is already a known risk factor for more severe cases of Covid-19 due to the underlying health complications associated with the condition, including heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
“Being an individual with obesity is a major risk factor for severe cases of certain infectious diseases, like influenza, hepatitis and nosocomial infections.
“However, other infections, like tuberculosis, community‐acquired pneumonia and sepsis, have more favourable clinical outcomes in adults with obesity compared with lean adults,” reads the research paper.
Analysing patients with symptoms, the researchers pointed out that those with severe or critical conditions showed much higher body mass index and individuals with obesity prevalence than the normal population or patients who were Covid‐19 negative.
Moving forward, the researchers called on governments from all over the world to consider actions to address not only long‐term economic issues but also diet quality during this and future pandemics to build resilience.
“It is clear that increasing prevalence of individuals with obesity among adults and the elderly is a major worldwide problem.
“Individuals with overweight and obesity face a greater risk of severe consequences from Covid‐19, including hospitalisation, intensive clinical care requirements and death,” reads the study.
The researchers also predicted that the physical distancing and stay-at-home policies may exacerbate adverse weight and health situations through their effects on dietary and physical activity patterns.
