Obesity is a “common feature” among many adults who contract COVID-19 and develop more severe disease or are admitted to intensive care, and clinicians must work to better prepare patients and build trust, according to two speakers.
“What was notable was if you looked at the younger age [groups], those aged 20, 30 and 40 years, we were seeing a large preponderance of serious illness and death in the group that would be classified as obese,” Osterholm said. “That was striking, clinically, early on. As epidemiologic studies were conducted, looking more at the overall patient mix, that was confirmed. The challenge was how can we try to accommodate for that? What are the reasons we are seeing the increased occurrence? We are still trying to understand that, as well as vaccine response among those who are obese.”
Obesity, stigma as risk factors Obesity is an independent risk factor for developing more severe disease after COVID-19 infection, even in the absence of other comorbidities, Rekha B. Kumar, MD, MS, associate professor of clinical medicine and attending endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medical College, said during the presentation. Studies suggest the underlying pathophysiology related to obesity alone is likely the underlying inflammation and the endocrine disruption of abnormal lung mechanics, she said.
“What was notable was if you looked at the younger age [groups], those aged 20, 30 and 40 years, we were seeing a large preponderance of serious illness and death in the group that would be classified as obese,” Osterholm said. “That was striking, clinically, early on. As epidemiologic studies were conducted, looking more at the overall patient mix, that was confirmed. The challenge was how can we try to accommodate for that? What are the reasons we are seeing the increased occurrence? We are still trying to understand that, as well as vaccine response among those who are obese.”
Obesity, stigma as risk factors
Obesity is an independent risk factor for developing more severe disease after COVID-19 infection, even in the absence of other comorbidities, Rekha B. Kumar, MD, MS, associate professor of clinical medicine and attending endocrinologist at Weill Cornell Medical College, said during the presentation. Studies suggest the underlying pathophysiology related to obesity alone is likely the underlying inflammation and the endocrine disruption of abnormal lung mechanics, she said.
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20211103/covid19-and-obesity-think-ahead-be-more-aggressive