People with a body mass index over 23 may increase the likelihood of having severe COVID-19, study finds

People considered to be in the upper regions of the “healthy” BMI range are at increased risk of developing severe COVID-19, according to a study by the prestigious Oxford University.

A healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 25, but the new study shows that For every point above 23, the risk of a person being hospitalized for COVID increases by five percent.

They are also 10% more likely than their slimmer peers to need intensive care treatment.

But the risk is greater in young adults, and a person aged 20 to 39 has a 9% increased risk of hospitalization for every point of BMI greater than 23.

They are also 13% more likely to be admitted to the ICU and 17% more likely to die than if they had a BMI of 23 or less. Therefore, The authors of the new study suggest that obese and overweight people should be given priority for inoculation rather than proceeding as they age..

Analysis of nearly seven million anonymized health records from people living in England revealed 13,503 COVID-19 patients who required hospital care between January 24 and April 30, 2020.

Scientists at the University of Oxford compared a patient’s BMI to their battle with COVID and found that the risk of serious illness increased with body weight.

Previous studies have shown that obese people are at increased risk of serious illness and death from COVID-19, but this is the first study to look at the entire BMI range.

Revealed that body weight and age are linked to disease risk.

The relationship has been found to be more pronounced in young adults, although the numbers are generally lower.

For example, people between the ages of 20 and 39 are nine percent more likely to be hospitalized for every point of BMI greater than 23, but for a person over 80 the increased risk is only 1 in hundred.

As a result, a 25-year-old with a BMI of 25, the upper limit of the “ healthy ” range, according to the NHS, is two BMI points above the threshold of 23.

This means that if you contract the coronavirus, are 18% more likely to be hospitalized than someone with a BMI of 23.

For the same person to have a BMI of 23, they would have to lose a stone.

People who were underweight, with a BMI below 18.5, also had worse outcomes with COVID-19, research shows.

The study published in The Lancet Diabetes And Endocrinology found that the risk of hospitalization increases gradually above a BMI of 23 and is independent of other pre-existing health problems.

The doctor Carmen Legs, lead author of the study, from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, said: ‘Our study shows that even very modest excess weight is associated with increased risks of serious complications from COVID-19, and the risks increase sharply as BMI increases.“.

“We also show that the risks associated with being overweight are greatest in people under the age of 40, while weight has little or no effect on the chances of developing severe COVID-19 after age 80. These results suggest that vaccination policies should prioritize obese people, especially now that the vaccine is being implemented in younger age groups, ”he added.

The risks associated with a higher BMI were higher for blacks than for whites, and there was no evidence that the risks for other ethnic groups were any different from those for the white population..

Professor Paul aveyard, who co-led the study, from the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford, said: “We don’t yet know that weight loss specifically reduces the risk of serious consequences from COVID-19, but it is highly plausible and will undoubtedly bring other health benefits.“.

“Losing weight is difficult and the recent investment by the NHS to improve access to weight management programs could help reduce the severity of COVID-19 at the population level and reduce the strain on health systems,” while reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, ”he added.

The authors say their study has several limitations, including that analysis of the impact of BMI may be limited by the smallest sample of people with recent BMI measurements.

However, the results did not change when the researchers excluded BMI measures over a year old at the start of the study period.

The doctor Naveed Sattar, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, who was not involved in the research, said: “If the results mean that people with obesity should be vaccinated earlier, they should be reviewed by the relevant authorities, but that decision should be based on absolute risks.. The most important question is whether helping people lose weight will reduce their risk of serious complications in subsequent waves. “

“The overwhelming evidence, with the help of this study, suggests that would be the case. What most countries need to do now is improve their lifestyle intervention policies to help more people and increase prevention efforts, ”he concluded.

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