Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (Jan 2021)

Impact of Obesity and Its Associated Comorbid Conditions on COVID-19 Presentation

  • Mehanna O,
  • El Askary A,
  • Ali E,
  • El Esawy B,
  • FathAlla T,
  • Gharib AF

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 14
pp. 409 – 415

Abstract

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Osama Mehanna,1,2 Ahmad El Askary,3,4 Ebtesam Ali,5 Basem El Esawy,3,6 Tamer FathAlla,7 Amal F Gharib3,8 1Department of Medical Physiology, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; 2Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, New Damietta, Egypt; 3Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, New Damietta, Egypt; 5Directorate of Health Affairs, Gharbia Governorate, Ministry of Health and Population, Cairo, Egypt; 6Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Al Mansurah, Egypt; 7Department of Anaesthesia and ICU, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Azhar University, New Damietta, Egypt; 8Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, EgyptCorrespondence: Osama Mehanna Email [email protected]: There is great variability in clinical presentation of COVID-19 worldwide. The current study evaluated the impact of obesity and its related complications on the course of COVID-19 in Egyptian patients.Methods: We included 230 COVID-19 Egyptian patients from Tanta City. According to their body-mass index (BMI), patient were divided into three groups: normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2), overweight (BMI > 25–< 30 kg/m2), and obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2). Patients’ glycemic status, lipid profile, and serum levels of acute-phase reactants were assessed. The number of patients receiving intensive care and the number of deaths in each group were counted.Results: Mean values of random blood sugar, serum cholesterol, triglycerides, serum ferritin, erythrocyte-sedimentation rate, LDH, CRP, D-dimer levels, and blood pressure were significantly higher in obese patients (165.6, 129.5, 105, 1,873, 26, 403, 56.45, 977.16 and 142/87, respectively) than in normal-weight (97.2, 103.5, 70.4, 479, 17.4, 252, 23.2, 612.4, and 118.6/76.8, respectively) and overweight patients (111.4, 106.3, 78.13, 491.3, 19.8, 269.27, 25.42, 618.4, and 120.3/79.3, respectively). Lymphopenia was also significantly predominant in the obese group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that elevated serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, low density–lipoprotein cholesterol, blood pressure, ferritin, CRP, and low relative lymphocyte count were significant risk factors in obese COVID-19 patients.Conclusion: Obesity and its related complications increase the risk of presenting a more severe form of COVID-19 in Egyptian patients.Keywords: obesity, COVID-19, Egyptian

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