In a study from the Queensland University of Technology, scientists found that one of the 344 studied blood analytes had widespread shared genetic influences with COVID-19 causing an increased risk of severe COVID-19.
They found that higher levels of triglycerides, a type of fat that is a heart disease biomarker, were strongly linked to an increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease.
COVID-19 patients who died or were in ICU had much higher levels of triglycerides compared to those who were discharged or had a mild case.
The team suggests that increased triglyceride levels are causal for severe COVID-19 disease.
The finding provides a genetic explanation for the greater severity of disease for people with higher triglycerides and supports the use of lipid-lowering drugs such as statins and fibrates against severe COVID-19.
In the study, the team used genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data to search for shared genetic influences between severe COVID-19 and blood analytes at the levels of the genome, gene, and differences in a single DNA base.
Their analyses genetically linked blood levels of 71 analytes to severe COVID-19 in at least one of the three levels of investigation, suggesting common biological mechanisms or causal links.
Among those 71 analytes, the team found six that showed evidence of shared influence with severe COVID-19 at all three levels, among these only triglycerides showed causality.
A recent study of COVID-19 patients in hospitals treated with statins had fewer deaths compared with a group of those who did not receive this treatment.
However, retrospective studies have produced conflicting results on the protective effect of the prior use of statins. This could be partially explained by the presence of other medical conditions in statin users.
The current results provide important clarity and support the targeted reduction of triglycerides to help prevent severe COVID-19.
If you care about the pandemic, please read studies about new evidence on rare blood clots after COVID-19 vaccination, and new therapy from bananas may help treat COVID-19.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies about four easy ways to reduce your risk of severe COVID-19, and results showing Omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce severe COVID-19.
The study was conducted by Professor Dale Nyholt et al and published in Cell Reports.
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