Study: Obesity and COVID-19 mortality

[elSquid]

Kaiser did a study to look at the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 mortality. Whole study at link, excerpts quoted below.

https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-3742

Results:

Among 6916 patients with COVID-19, there was a J-shaped association between BMI and risk for death, even after adjustment for obesity-related comorbidities. Compared with patients with a BMI of 18.5 to 24 kg/m2, those with BMIs of 40 to 44 kg/m2 and greater than 45 kg/m2 had relative risks of 2.68 (95% CI, 1.43 to 5.04) and 4.18 (CI, 2.12 to 8.26), respectively. This risk was most striking among those aged 60 years or younger and men. Increased risk for death associated with Black or Latino race/ethnicity or other sociodemographic characteristics was not detected.

<snip>

Age- and Sex-Stratified Analyses

In age-stratified adjusted analyses, among those aged 60 years or younger, we found a markedly increased risk for death associated with high BMI compared with the overall model (Figure 2, A; Supplement ). For those aged 61 years or older, BMI was associated with death to a much lesser degree, and only for the highest measures. In the older patients, increasing age escalated in importance, with a 127% increased risk for death per decade

In sex-stratified analyses, high BMI was associated with substantial risk for death in male patients, with risk estimates above those in the overall model. Female patients had no increased risk for death associated with BMI

<snip>

Our data also suggest that risk may not be uniform across different populations, with high BMI more strongly associated with COVID-19 mortality in younger adults and male patients, but not in female patients and older adults.

ob-covid.jpg

Interesting points:

a) men fare worse than women generally, and women appeared to suffer no extra risk due to obesity. I've decided to self-identify as a woman from this point forward, at least until there is a COVID vaccine.

b) males under 60 with severe obesity appear to be at the highest risk. Below a BMI of (40) the risk is mild, ( 40-44 ) the risk of death is more than double, and above ( 45 ) the risk quadruples.

c) age is a huge factor in mortality. The risk of the highest obesity level ( 45 ) when compared to the non-obese is similar to the risk of being 55-60 years old as compared to the 40 and under group.

d) did some quick calculations, for a 5ft10in man with a weight of

275lbs -> BMI 40 -> risk of death is 2.6x
315lbs -> BMI 45 -> risk of death is 4x

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm

-- Michael

[elSquid]

The next logical question is: how much does BMI affect all cause mortality?

A quick google brought up this, another Kaiser study:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5499607/

Short answer: BMI over 40 is apparently linked to much higher death rates, period.

-- Michael

[sd_shooter]

Some useful information at last!

- Wife: no problem
- Kids: They need to eat more cheeseburgers, they're teens
- Me: I could stand to lose a few pounds (6' tall, 190 lbs)

Lesson: Fat people should wear masks

[therealnickb]

Lesson: unhealthy lifestyles lead to illness and death

[Endless]

Kaiser did a study to look at the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 mortality. Whole study at link, excerpts quoted below.

https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M20-3742

Results:

Among 6916 patients with COVID-19, there was a J-shaped association between BMI and risk for death, even after adjustment for obesity-related comorbidities. Compared with patients with a BMI of 18.5 to 24 kg/m2, those with BMIs of 40 to 44 kg/m2 and greater than 45 kg/m2 had relative risks of 2.68 (95% CI, 1.43 to 5.04) and 4.18 (CI, 2.12 to 8.26), respectively. This risk was most striking among those aged 60 years or younger and men. Increased risk for death associated with Black or Latino race/ethnicity or other sociodemographic characteristics was not detected.

<snip>

Age- and Sex-Stratified Analyses

In age-stratified adjusted analyses, among those aged 60 years or younger, we found a markedly increased risk for death associated with high BMI compared with the overall model (Figure 2, A; Supplement ). For those aged 61 years or older, BMI was associated with death to a much lesser degree, and only for the highest measures. In the older patients, increasing age escalated in importance, with a 127% increased risk for death per decade

In sex-stratified analyses, high BMI was associated with substantial risk for death in male patients, with risk estimates above those in the overall model. Female patients had no increased risk for death associated with BMI

<snip>

Our data also suggest that risk may not be uniform across different populations, with high BMI more strongly associated with COVID-19 mortality in younger adults and male patients, but not in female patients and older adults.

[ATTACH]926735[/ATTACH]

Interesting points:

a) men fare worse than women generally, and women appeared to suffer no extra risk due to obesity. I've decided to self-identify as a woman from this point forward, at least until there is a COVID vaccine.

b) males under 60 with severe obesity appear to be at the highest risk. Below a BMI of (40) the risk is mild, ( 40-44 ) the risk of death is more than double, and above ( 45 ) the risk quadruples.

c) age is a huge factor in mortality. The risk of the highest obesity level ( 45 ) when compared to the non-obese is similar to the risk of being 55-60 years old as compared to the 40 and under group.

d) did some quick calculations, for a 5ft10in man with a weight of

275lbs -> BMI 40 -> risk of death is 2.6x
315lbs -> BMI 45 -> risk of death is 4x

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm

-- Michael

We have known this since April.

We have also known that the reason why we have so many deaths in America is because we have millions of folks that have a very poor diet of fast foods and are morbidly obese and out of shape (unhealthy lifestyles). But the media and president won't say this because we all live our lives the way we want but at the end of the day that has severe consequences. Unfortunately that's a fact.

[LBDamned]

So... put the donut down.

Can the rest of us finally get on with life?

[elSquid]

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_adult_15_16/obesity_adult_15_16.htm

According to table:


For age range: 20-74, yr 2015-2016

6% of men are severely obese ( BMI > 40 ) and 10% of women are severely obese.

Kaiser suggests that obesity provides no extra risk to women for COVID-19.

So 6% of men are at higher risk, which is roughly 3% of the total population.

As one ages, age becomes a bigger risk than obesity does.

So what does that mean? Perhaps 2% of the population that is male, under 50, and severely obese should be rightly concerned? That for the other 98%, it's not a major issue?

And for that 2%, what does that mean for mortality?

Does that mean that a 0.1% chance of death due to COVID becomes 0.2% or 0.4%?

-- Michael

[the_tunaman]

Lesson: unhealthy lifestyles lead to illness and death

Truth

[Marauder2003]

Life leads to death.

Lesson: unhealthy lifestyles lead to illness and death

[therealnickb]

Life leads to death.

It's all about the journey.

[elSquid]

It's all about the journey.

-- Michael