Covid-19: a risk of severe form from a BMI of 23

We know: if the Covid-19 coronavirus is mild in 80% of cases, there are severe forms of the disease which particularly affect people suffering from comorbidities – such as high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma. .. but also obesity. As a reminder, we speak of obesity when the body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30; if it is over 25, it is overweight. Morbidly obese people, on the other hand, have a BMI greater than 40: they are defined as “at risk” by the Ministry of Health.

A new British study points to the risk of a severe form of covid-19 linked to obesity by highlighting the overrepresentation of people with a BMI greater than 23 in intensive care units. The results of their study, published in The Lancet diabetes and endocrinologyand relating to nearly 7 million people hospitalized, indicate that the risk of developing a severe form increases linearly from a BMI of 23. And that the Mortality risk also increases from a BMI of 28.

Refining the results, the University of Oxford researchers also found that the effect of overweight and obesity on the risk of severe covid-19 was greater in younger people, under the age of 40.

Obesity considered a risk since the first wave

From April 2020, the Lille University Hospital sounded the alarm. More than 50% of patients hospitalized in intensive care for a severe form of Covid-19 at the Lille University Hospital had a body mass index greater than 30. “Obesity (BMI> 30) and severe obesity (BMI> 35 kg) is respectively present in 47.6% and 28.2% of cases” pointed out the study. The researchers then noted that 85% of patients with a body mass index greater than 35 had to be placed on a ventilator.

Why are overweight (or obese) people more susceptible to coronavirus?

Scientists highlight two mechanisms: people who are overweight or obese often suffer from associated diseases – and, in particular, cardiovascular pathologies and diabetes. These constitute comorbidities for the disease, and contribute to the development of severe symptoms of the coronavirus.

But also, as explained by the Center for Obesity and Overweight Grenoble-Sud, overweight (or obesity) is generally accompanied by poor breathing – shortness of breath on exertion, reduced respiratory capacity, asthma, sleep apnea… which promotes the development of respiratory distress in the event of coronavirus infection. It should be added that, according to certain studies, obesity makes people more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections by directly affecting the immune system: an open door to Covid-19.

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