The Impact of Obesity in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: a Retrospective Cohort Study

Overview

Journal Diabetol Metab Syndr

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Endocrinology

Date 2024 Jan 18

PMID 38238775

Authors

Fabio Alfano Carra

Maria Edna de Melo

Matheo A M Stumpf

Cintia Cercato

Ariana E Fernandes

Marcio C Mancini

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Obesity is believed to be a risk factor for COVID-19 and unfavorable outcomes, although data on this remains to be better elucidated.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of obesity on the endpoints of patients hospitalized due to SARS-CoV-2.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated patients hospitalized at a tertiary hospital (Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP) from March to December 2020. Only patients positive for COVID-19 (real-time PCR or serology) were included. Data were collected from medical records and included clinical and demographic information, weight and height, SAPS-3 score, comorbidities, and patient-centered outcomes (mortality, and need for mechanical ventilation, renal replacement therapy, or vasoactive drugs). Patients were divided into categories according to their BMI (underweight, eutrophic, overweight and obesity) for comparison porpoise.

Results: A total of 2547 patients were included. The mean age was 60.3 years, 56.2% were men, 65.2% were white and the mean BMI was 28.1 kg/m. SAPS-3 score was a risk factor for all patient-centered outcomes (HR 1.032 for mortality, OR 1.03 for dialysis, OR 1.07 for vasoactive drug use, and OR 1.08 for intubation, p < 0.05). Male sex increased the risk of death (HR 1.175, p = 0.027) and dialysis (OR 1.64, p < 0.001), and underweight was protective for vasoactive drug use (OR 0.45, p = 0.027) and intubation (OR 0.31, p < 0.003).

Conclusion: Obesity itself was not an independent factor for worse patient-centered outcomes. Critical clinical state (indirectly evaluated by SAPS-3) appears to be the most important variable related to hard outcomes in patients infected with COVID-19.

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