A summary of the evidence so far suggests that obesity is associated with an increased risk of developing severe symptoms and complications of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), regardless of other diseases, such as cardiovascular disease.
Early data seem to suggest that people with obesity are more likely to become seriously ill due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
A growing number of reports have linked obesity to coronavirus mortality, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now lists severe obesity as a risk factor for coVID-19 serious. CDC defines severe obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or more.
The evidence so far
The article summarizes the preliminary available data on obesity and COVID-19.
In China, where the outbreak began, data from 383 patients showed that obesity was associated with a 142% increased risk of developing severe pneumonia associated with COVID-19.
A larger study of more than 4,000 COVID-19 patients in New York City found that severe obesity was a major risk factor for hospitalization, second only to age.
Why is obesity a risk factor?
It is important to note that the risk appears to be independent of other diseases, such as high blood pressure, which are more common in people with obesity.
According to the study authors, one way obesity could increase the risk of severe COVID-19 involves respiratory dysfunction.
People with obesity are more likely to have increased resistance in their airways, lower lung volumes, and weaker respiratory muscles, which are critical in COVID-19 defense. These factors make a person more likely to develop pneumonia and exert extra stress on the heart.
