Association of Obesity with Disease Severity among Patients with COVID‐19

Kalligeros, Markos; Shehadeh, Fadi; Mylona, Evangelia K.; Benitez, Gregorio; Beckwith, Curt G.; Chan, Philip A.; Mylonakis, Eleftherios

OBJECTIVE: To explore the potential association of obesity and other chronic diseases with severe outcomes, such as intensive care unit (ICU) admission and invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), in patients hospitalized with COVID‐19. METHODS: Retrospective cohort of 103 patients hospitalized with COVID‐19. Demographic data, past medical history and hospital course were collected and analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was implemented to examine associations. RESULTS: From February 17th to April 5th, 103 consecutive patients were hospitalized with COVID‐19. Among them, 41 patients (39.8%) were admitted to the ICU and 29 (70.7%) required (IMV). The prevalence of obesity was 47.5% (49/103). In a multivariate analysis, severe obesity (BMI ≥35 kg/m2) was associated with ICU admission (aOR 5.39; 95% CI:1.13‐25.64). Moreover, patients who required IMV, were more likely to have had heart disease (aOR 3.41; 95% CI:1.05‐11.06), obesity (BMI=30‐34.9 kg/m2) (aOR 6.85; 95% CI: 1.05‐44.82) or severe obesity (BMI≥35 kg/m2) (aOR 9.99; 95% CI:1.39‐71.69). CONCLUSION: In our analysis, severe obesity (BMI ≥35 kg/m2) was associated with ICU admission, while history of heart disease and obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) were independently associated with the use of IMV. Increased vigilance and aggressive treatment of patients with obesity and COVID‐19 are warranted.