Is BMI Higher in Younger Patients with COVID-19? Association Between BMI and COVID-19 Hospitalization by Age

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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

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Ajay Bhasin1, Hannah Nam2, Chen Yeh3

  • 1Department of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)
|July 2, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Younger patients hospitalized with COVID-19 had higher BMIs than older patients, regardless of diabetes or hypertension. This trend was not observed in non-COVID-19 patients, highlighting obesity as a key factor in severe COVID-19 outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Science
  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Obesity is a known risk factor for severe COVID-19 and hospitalization.
  • Understanding demographic differences in COVID-19 severity is crucial for public health strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if Body Mass Index (BMI) differences exist between younger and older COVID-19 patients.
  • To determine if these BMI trends are independent of diabetes and hypertension.
  • To compare BMI trends in COVID-19 patients versus non-COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional analysis of hospitalized patients with moderate to severe COVID-19.
  • Comparison of patients younger than 50 versus older than 50 years.
  • Inclusion of patients with and without diabetes and hypertension.
  • Comparison with a cohort of patients hospitalized without COVID-19.

Main Results:

  • Younger COVID-19 patients (<50 years) without diabetes or hypertension had significantly higher mean BMIs (43.1) than older patients (30.1).
  • A trend of inversely correlated BMI with increasing age was observed in COVID-19 patients.
  • No significant BMI differences or age-related trends were found in patients hospitalized without COVID-19.

Conclusions:

  • Younger individuals with COVID-19 exhibit higher BMIs compared to older individuals, irrespective of comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension.
  • Age-related BMI trends in COVID-19 hospitalization are distinct from those in non-COVID-19 hospitalized patients.
  • Obesity may play a significant, age-independent role in the severity of COVID-19 illness.
Abstract

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