Obesity is a key factor in the severity of a COVID-19 diagnosis, according to a new study published Monday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC found that of the 148,494 adults in 238 hospitals who were diagnosed with COVID-19, almost 51 percent were obese and almost 28 percent were overweight.
Overweight is defined as a body mass index of 25 or more, while obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 or more.
Just over 42 percent of the U.S. population was considered obese in 2018, according to the most recent data from the CDC.
Being overweight and / or obese were risk factors for invasive mechanical ventilation, and obesity was a risk factor for hospitalization and death, particularly among adults under 65, said the CDC.
The CDC study found that the risk of hospitalizations, ICU admissions and deaths were lower among individuals with a BMI below 25. As the BMI increased, the risk of serious illnesses “increased dramatically”, particularly among 65-year-olds or more, the agency said.
The CDC recommended that, as doctors develop care plans for patients with COVID-19, they should consider the risk of serious outcomes in patients with higher BMI, especially for those with severe obesity.
The agency said the results highlight the “clinical and public health implications” of higher BMIs, including the promotion of COVID-19 prevention strategies, such as continuous vaccine prioritization and masking “and policies to ensure community access to nutrition. and physical activities that promote and support a healthy BMI. “
The CDC said that promoting a healthy BMI may be especially important for populations disproportionately affected by obesity, particularly Hispanics or Latinos and non-Hispanic black adults, as well as people in low-income families, who are also more likely to have worse results. with COVID-19 compared to other populations.