Photo: 嘿嘿视频 Staff
Two new studies from 嘿嘿视频 Health are part of a growing body of evidence that suggests obesity may be one of the most important predictors of severe 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
One of the largest studies in the United States to identify obesity as a prominent risk factor for severe illness from COVID-19 analyzed data from more than 4,000 people with COVID-19 who sought care at 嘿嘿视频 between March 1 and April 2.
鈥淥besity is more important for hospitalization than whether you have high blood pressure or diabetes, though these often go together, and it鈥檚 more important than coronary disease or cancer or kidney disease, or even pulmonary disease,鈥 says Leora Horwitz, MD, the paper鈥檚 senior author and director of the and associate professor in the at 嘿嘿视频.
The data also suggest obesity appears to be a factor for higher risk of death from COVID-19, though to a lesser degree, Dr. Horwitz says. However, she notes the findings are preliminary, and says that some of the data are still incomplete, emphasizing that the paper has not been peer reviewed.
Another study from 嘿嘿视频 found that those with obesity were twice as likely to be hospitalized and were at even higher risk of requiring critical care. The link between obesity and more severe cases of the disease was not seen in patients over age 60. The seriousness of the illness often comes as a surprise to younger adults, and 鈥減rovides another layer of shock to this disease,鈥 says the paper鈥檚 author, Jennifer L. Lighter, MD, hospital epidemiologist and assistant professor in the at 嘿嘿视频.
鈥淚t means that as clinicians, we should be thinking a little more carefully about those patients with obesity when they come in鈥攚e should worry about them a little bit more,鈥 Dr. Horwitz says.
Read more from .
