Abstract
Introduction: COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by SARS-COV-2. Obesity is considered to be a low-grade, chronic inflammation as a result of an imbalance of adipocytokines secreted by adipose tissue.
Objective: to explore the association between the body mass index (BMI) and the degree of lung damage, the severity of the systemic inflammatory response, and the request for respiratory support.
Material and methods: The study included 200 patients (110 women, 90 men, 22-96 yo) with confirmed COVID-19, admitted to the University Clinical Hospital of Sechenov University from March to May 2020.
Results: 90% patients (pts) were overweight and obese: 28% pts had a BMI of 25-29.9 kg/m2; 29.5%: 30-34.9 kg/m2; 23.5%: 35-39.9 kg/m2; 9%: BMI > 40 kg/m2. A correlation was found between the severity of lung damage according to CT and the degree of obesity (r=0.394, p≤0.01). 83 pts (41.5%) needed low-flow oxygen delivery support, 77 of them (92.8%) had a BMI > 25 kg/m2; the correlation between the need for oxygen therapy and BMI was observed in all pts (r=0.391, p≤0.01). Overweight and obese pts had significantly higher levels of C-reactive protein (r=0.404, p≤0.01) and fibrinogen (r=0.384, p≤0.01).
Conclusion: Patients with BMI > 25kg/m2 have a high systemic inflammatory response, more severe lung damage according to CT, and often require for respiratory support.
Footnotes
Cite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2021; 58: Suppl. 65, PA3887.
This abstract was presented at the 2021 ERS International Congress, in session “Prediction of exacerbations in patients with COPD”.
This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).
- Copyright ©the authors 2021
