In a new study, researchers found people who are overweight, even if only modestly, are at greater risk of COVID-19 hospitalization.
The research was conducted by a team at UCL.
In the study, the researchers assessed UK Biobank data of more than 330,000 UK residents, taken between 2006 and 2010.
The data set includes individuals’ body mass index (BMI), waist-hip ratio, along with other covariates relating to age, ethnicity, alcohol intake, smoking, and physical activity.
Further information relating to heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, and a blood sample containing disease biomarkers, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glycated hemoglobin, and C-reactive protein, was also available.
Researchers then linked this to Public Health England data on COVID-19 hospitalizations covering the period from 16 March 2020 up to 26 April 2020.
During this period, testing was restricted to those with symptoms in the hospital, therefore the study represents severe COVID-19.
They found 640 people (0.2%), from the UK Biobank large population sample, were admitted to hospital after contracting the virus and discovered a link between hospitalization and increased BMI.
A BMI of 25-30 is considered overweight and a BMI of 30 and above is considered obese.
Researchers found those with a BMI over 25, had a 40% higher risk of hospitalization after taking into account age and sex—two independent risk factors for COVID-19.
For those in the obese category, BMI 30 plus, the risk was 70% higher. And those in the severe obese category (BMI more than 35), the odds of hospitalization more than doubled.
The findings show there is a linear increase in the risk of COVID-19 hospitalization with increasing BMI.
The team says since over two-thirds of Westernized society are overweight or obese, this potentially presents a major risk factor for severe COVID-19 infection and may have implications for policy.
One author of the study is Professor Mark Hamer (UCL Surgery & Interventional Science).
The study is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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