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Independent Role of Severe Obesity as a Risk Factor for COVID‐19 Hospitalization: A Spanish Population‐Based Cohort Study
Author(s) -
Fresán Ujué,
Guevara Marcela,
Elía Fernando,
Albéniz Esther,
Burgui Cristina,
Castilla Jesús
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
obesity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.438
H-Index - 199
eISSN - 1930-739X
pISSN - 1930-7381
DOI - 10.1002/oby.23029
Subject(s) - medicine , relative risk , obesity , risk factor , poisson regression , population , cohort study , incidence (geometry) , prospective cohort study , cohort , covid-19 , pediatrics , disease , confidence interval , environmental health , infectious disease (medical specialty) , optics , physics
Objectives This study analyzed the association between severe obesity and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) hospitalization and severe disease. Methods The incidence of hospitalization for laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 was evaluated in a prospective population‐based cohort of 433,995 persons aged 25 to 79 years in Spain during March and April of 2020. Persons with and without class 3 obesity were compared using Poisson regression to estimate the adjusted relative risk (aRR) from class 3 obesity of COVID‐19 hospitalization and of severe disease (intensive care unit admission or death). Differences in the effect by age, sex, and chronic conditions were evaluated. Results Individuals with class 3 obesity had a higher risk of hospitalization (aRR = 2.20, 95% CI: 1.66‐2.93) and developing severe COVID‐19 (aRR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.20‐4.40). In people younger than 50 years, these effects were more pronounced (aRR = 5.02, 95% CI: 3.19‐7.90 and aRR = 13.80, 95% CI: 3.11‐61.17, respectively), whereas no significant effects were observed in those aged 65 to 79 years (aRR = 1.22, 95% CI: 0.70‐2.12 and aRR = 1.42, 95% CI: 0.52‐3.88, respectively). Sex and chronic conditions did not modify the effect of class 3 obesity in any of the outcomes. Conclusions Severe obesity is a relevant risk factor for COVID‐19 hospitalization and severity in young adults, having a magnitude similar to that of aging. Tackling the current obesity pandemic could alleviate the impact of chronic and infectious diseases.