Patients with COVID-19 and Obesity Have Poor Outcomes Not Driven by Inflammation

Obesity is associated with poor COVID-19 outcomes but a new study out of the Boston University School of Medicine suggests this is not due to increased inflammation, but instead may be driven by respiratory issues or other factors. Multiple studies suggest those who are overweight or have obesity are more likely to experience invasive mechanical ventilation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission or death. Population-level studies also suggest a higher COVID-19 mortality rate in countries with greater prevalence of obesity. What was not known before was whether patients with obesity had more inflammation, the so-called cytokine storm of COVID.