Obesity as a Risk Factor Against COVID-19

Rosa Elvira Minchala Urgilés,Andrés Alexis Ramírez Coronel,Anabel Estefanía Arce Prieto,Fanny González León,María De Los Ángeles Estrella-González,Pedro Carlos Martínez-Suárez,Lilia Romero Sacoto

doi:10.11648/j.sjcm.20211002.13

Rosa Elvira Minchala Urgilés, Andrés Alexis Ramírez Coronel + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjcm.20211002.13

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Abstract

In late 2019, in Wuhan City, China, SARS-CoV2 was identified as the cause of an outbreak of acute respiratory illness called COVID-19 representing its most frequent lethal complication. Objective: To analyze, by means of a literature review, obesity as a risk factor for COVID-19. Methodology: A systematic review of the literature was carried out in scientific databases such as: Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS); Virtual Health Library (VHL): Wiley Online Library and Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Scielo, Scopus. The search terms included the study variables. Results: According to the analysis of 51 articles, it was determined that obese, male and elderly patients are the profile most prone to present respiratory system failures associated with COVID-19. Their pictures are aggravated by immunological and hormonal physiopathology typical of obesity; in addition, comorbidity in which there is diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and obstructive pulmonary disease aggravates the picture of COVID-19 in obese patients. Conclusions: The presence of obesity is indeed a risk factor against COVID-19 infection, since it increases the possibility of suffering severe respiratory conditions.

Highlights

The World Health Organization defines obesity as an abnormal or excessive deposit of fat, so it adopts a simple way to measure obesity, which is the calculation of the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is obtained by weight in kilograms divided by size in square meter; if a person with a BMI equal to or greater than 30 is considered obese and if it is equal to or greater than 25 is considered overweight [1]
“To determine the English comorbidities of obese patients affected by COVID-19”
Metabolism disorders caused by obesity are related to cases of worsening symptoms of COVID-19

Summary

Introduction

The World Health Organization defines obesity as an abnormal or excessive deposit of fat, so it adopts a simple way to measure obesity, which is the calculation of the Body Mass Index (BMI), which is obtained by weight in kilograms divided by size in square meter; if a person with a BMI equal to or greater than 30 is considered obese and if it is equal to or greater than 25 is considered overweight [1].Coronavirus (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS-CoV-2) has attracted increasing global attention [2], because its sudden outbreak and global spread represent one of the greatest public health challenges of modern times [3]. Obesity is very prevalent in the United States and Europe, with an incidence of more than 40% [9, 10] It can cause diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, vascular diseases and tumors, all associated with the susceptibility or higher mortality of COVID-19 [11, 12]. Studies indicate that obese patients with COVID-19 are more likely to receive mechanical ventilation and have a higher mortality rate [13]. These facts remind us that obesity may be closely related to the worsening of COVID-19. In France, obesity and severe obesity were present in 47.6% and 28.2% of patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IVM) [13]

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