This article was originally published here
Diabetes. 2021 February 17th: db200671. doi: 10.2337 / db20-0671. Online before printing.
ABSTRACT
Obesity has raised major concerns due to its high prevalence in severe COVID-19 cases. The simultaneous occurrence of diabetes and obesity can create an even higher risk of serious consequences due to a dysfunction of immunity. We performed a retrospective study on 1,637 adult patients admitted to an acute hospital in Wuhan, China. The logistic regression, consistent with the propensity score, was used to estimate the risk of severe pneumonia and hospital-related oxygen therapy for obesity. After adjusting for age, gender, and comorbidities, obesity was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of severe pneumonia (odd ratio) [OR] 1.47 [95% CI 1.15-1.88], P = 0.002) and oxygen therapy (OR 1.40 [95% CI 1.10-1.79], P = 0.007). In men, older adults, and diabetics, higher rates of severe pneumonia due to obesity have been observed. In patients with diabetes, obesity was 0.68 times more likely to need hospital oxygen therapy (P = 0.014), and obesity was 1.06 times more likely (P = 0.028). A linear dose-response curve between BMI and severe outcomes was observed in all patients, while a U-shaped curve was observed in patients with diabetes. Our results provide important evidence for obesity as an independent risk factor for serious consequences of COVID-19 infection in the early stages of the ongoing pandemic.
PMID: 33597204 | DOI: 10.2337 / db20-0671
