Of men health
Obesity has been linked to an increased risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID-19 since the beginning of the coronavirus novel pandemic. Now experts say obesity could increase your chances of COVID-19 by almost 50 percent, according to an analysis published in the journal Obesity Reviews.
People who had a BMI higher than 30 had an increased risk of hospitalization, were more often admitted to the intensive care unit and had a higher chance of dying from COVID-19. The review included 75 studies from around the world, contained recent data, and was well done, according to John Whyte, MD MPH, Chief Medical Officer of WebMD.
Obesity has been linked to a number of other risk factors for COVID-19, including hypertension, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. This may explain why high BMIs are more linked to severe COVID cases. However, people with obesity who do not have underlying conditions are even more often seriously ill.
“Obesity itself seems to be a risk factor for a bad outcome if you get COVID. The other conditions add even more risk,” says Dr. Whyte.
Obesity can lead to inflammation and insulin resistance, which make the body harder to fight the infection, the authors state. Furthermore, researchers are concerned that a future vaccine may not work so well in people with obesity.
“Potentially, the vaccines designed to address COVID-19 will be less effective for people with obesity due to a weakened immune response,” they write.
However, there is still no evidence for that. “This is something we will need to monitor and look at closely,” says Dr. Whyte.
Wearing a mask, exercising physically, and washing your hands are the best ways to get sick. Dr. Whyte suggests being active – even when it’s just walking – and maintaining a balanced diet to reduce your risk of becoming seriously ill. He also advises looking for symptoms.
“Listen to your body and call your doctor if you do not feel well. You may need to be checked,” says Dr. Whyte.
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