Some COVID-19 survivors can struggle with lingering medical problems for months.
In a recent study published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 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.
The study is from Cleveland Clinic. One author is Ali Aminian, MD.
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 COVID, please read studies about prostate cancer drugs hold potential for treating COVID-19 and findings of autopsy study shows how COVID-19 damages the brain.
For more information about COVID and your health, please see recent studies about cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce COVID-19 death in these people and results showing that existing drugs offer new methods to treat COVID-19.
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