Perspective
Susceptibility of the obese population to COVID-19

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.10.015Get rights and content
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Highlights

Obesity has been reported to be a risk factor for COVID-19 severity.

We outline several pathophysiological mechanisms that could account for the higher risk of severe disease in obese individuals.

Understanding the mechanisms whereby obesity leads to increased disease severity is key to developing more effective treatment.

Abstract

  • Obesity is a risk factor for disease severity in individuals with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the increased susceptibility of this population to COVID-19 is unclear. We outline several underlying mechanisms that may explain the relationship between obesity and COVID-19 severity. Obesity has an adverse effect on respiratory physiology because increased intra-abdominal adipose tissue can interfere with lung expansion, resulting in reduced lung compliance. Further, fat accumulation in the soft tissue of the pharynx can increase inspiratory resistance, and obesity may be associated with sleep apnea. Obesity is associated with several defects in cell-mediated immunity, including increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Impaired adipocyte-mediated immune function results in chronically high leptin levels, low adiponectin levels, and anti-inflammatory adipokines. Reduced physical activity can impair several steps of the immune response to viruses. Obesity also promotes a hypercoagulable state, leading to severe consequences. These factors may synergistically play a role in promoting the severity of the disease in obese individuals. A better understanding of the mechanisms by which obesity contributes to the severity of COVID-19 is important for developing more effective treatments.

Keywords

COVID-19
SARS-CoV-2
Obesity

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