Some COVID-19 survivors can struggle with lingering medical problems for months.
In a new study from Cleveland Clinic, researchers found that the risk for these long-term COVID-19 complications may be higher for those who suffer from obesity.
They found patients who had moderate or severe obesity had a 30% greater risk of developing these chronic consequences of the disease.
In the study, the team analyzed a registry of nearly 3,000 people who survived COVID-19 and followed them until January 2021.
Results showed chronic complications from COVID-19 are extremely common—about 40% of people who survived the disease had subsequent chronic problems.
They also found the risk for hospital admission after the initial phase of COVID-19 was about 30% higher in people with moderate-to-severe obesity.
Other studies have shown obesity as a risk factor for developing a severe form of COVID-19 that may require hospital admission, intensive care, and ventilator support in the early phase of the disease.
The team says the best way to avoid COVID-19 and the chronic problems that may follow is vaccination.
Vaccines are extremely effective in protecting patients with obesity to reduce their risk of contracting the disease.
They suggest that knowing that these patients are at greater risk for developing complications, doctors can say that vaccines are essential in these patients, and they need to encourage patients with obesity to get vaccinated.
The team’s research is ongoing as he looks to determine the type of long-term follow-up care people with obesity need after a COVID-19 infection.
If you care about long COVID, please read studies about new study confirms longer-term lung damage after COVID-19 and findings of this health problem may increase risk of long-term complications in COVID-19.
For more information about long COVID and your health, please see recent studies about long COVID more likely in these people and results showing that long COVID: symptoms experienced during infection may predict lasting illness.
The study is published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. One author of the study is Ali Aminian, MD.
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