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Obesity is Associated with Increased Risk for Mortality Among Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19

Natasha N Pettit1, Erica L MacKenzie2, Jessica P Ridgway3

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, University of Chicago Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|June 27, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Obesity significantly increases the risk of mortality in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Individuals with obesity were also more prone to developing hypoxemia during their illness.

Area of Science:

  • Medical research
  • Epidemiology
  • Public health

Background:

  • Obesity is a known risk factor for severe outcomes in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
  • Understanding the specific impact of obesity on COVID-19 mortality is crucial for patient management and public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether obesity is an independent risk factor for mortality in patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
  • To assess the association between obesity and hypoxemia in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study design.
  • Inclusion of 238 patients with COVID-19 between March 1 and April 18, 2020.
  • Analysis of demographic data, obesity status (BMI > 30 kg/m²), and clinical outcomes including mortality and hypoxemia.

Main Results:

  • Obesity was identified as a significant predictor of mortality (OR 1.7, P=0.016).
  • Male gender (OR 5.2, P=0.01) and older age (OR 3.6, P<0.0005) were also associated with increased mortality.
  • Obesity (OR 1.7, P<0.0005) and older age (OR 1.3, P=0.03) were risk factors for hypoxemia.

Conclusions:

  • Obesity is a significant independent predictor of mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, even after adjusting for other factors.
  • Patients with obesity are at a higher risk of developing hypoxemia during COVID-19 infection.
Abstract

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