When two pandemics meet: Why is obesity associated with increased COVID-19 mortality?
Accepted version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
O'Rahilly, Stephen https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2199-4449
Lockhart, Sam
Abstract
A growing body of evidence indicates that obesity is strongly and independently associated with adverse outcomes of COVID-19 including death. By combining emerging knowledge of the pathological processes involved in COVID-19 with insights into the mechanisms underlying the adverse health consequences of obesity, we present some hypotheses regarding the deleterious impact of obesity on the course of COVID-19. These hypotheses are testable and could guide therapeutic and preventive interventions. As obesity is now almost ubiquitous and no vaccine for COVID-19 is currently available, even a modest reduction in the impact of obesity on mortality and morbidity from this viral infection could have profound consequences for public health.
Description
Keywords
COVID-19, Humans, Obesity, Pandemics, Public Health, SARS-CoV-2
Journal Title
Med cell press
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
2666-6359
2666-6340
2666-6340
Volume Title
1
Publisher
Elsevier
Publisher DOI
Rights
All rights reserved
Sponsorship
Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) (146281)
MRC (Unknown)
Wellcome Trust (208363/Z/17/Z)
Wellcome Trust (214274/Z/18/Z)
Wellcome Trust (100574/B/12/Z)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12012/2)
MRC (MC_UU_00014/1)
Wellcome Trust (095515/Z/11/Z)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_12012)
MRC (Unknown)
Wellcome Trust (208363/Z/17/Z)
Wellcome Trust (214274/Z/18/Z)
Wellcome Trust (100574/B/12/Z)
Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12012/2)
MRC (MC_UU_00014/1)
Wellcome Trust (095515/Z/11/Z)
Medical Research Council (MC_PC_12012)
S.M.L. is supported by an academic clinical fellowship from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). S.O. is supported by the Wellcome Trust (WT 095515/Z/11/Z), the Medical Research Council (MRC) Metabolic Disease Unit (MC_UU_00014/1), and the NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre and NIHR Rare Disease Translational Research Collaboration