Studies show that obesity surgery may reduce the severity of COVID-19 in obese patients

A study by Cleveland Clinic showed that in obese, COVID-19-positive patients, the history of past obesity surgery was significantly associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization and admission to the intensive care unit. I am.The results were published in the journal Surgery for obesity and related diseases..

Over the past few months, researchers around the world have identified obesity as a risk factor for developing the severe form of COVID-19. This may require hospitalization, intensive care, and the use of mechanical ventilation support. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 70% of adults in the United States are overweight or obese and may increase their risk of serious illness from the coronavirus.

Obesity is a complex disease caused by multiple factors that weaken the immune system. Obesity causes a chronic inflammatory condition that causes the overproduction of cytokines, which are small proteins involved in the immune response.

“When infected with coronavirus, Immune system It releases cytokines and can cause excessive cytokine production that damages organs. This may partially explain the severity of the infectious disease in obese patients, “said Dr. Ariaminian, MD, director of the Obesity Metabolism Institute at the Cleveland Clinic and principal investigator of the study. Says.

In addition, obesity increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, and blood clot formation. These conditions can lead to adverse consequences after infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Obesity can also affect the respiratory system.Many obese patients have the following underlying lung conditions: Sleep apnea COVID-19 Obesity hypoventilation syndrome that can exacerbate the consequences of pneumonia.

“Dr. Aminian’s study provides further evidence of an important association between obesity and poor outcomes due to coronavirus infection. This study shows that significant weight loss from weight loss surgery is actually serious in these patients. For the first time, it shows that it has the potential to reduce the risk of illness, “said the collaborators. -Dr. Stephen Nissen, MD, Chief Academic Officer, Cardiovascular Chest Institute, Cleveland Clinic.

Looking at 4,365 patients who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 between March 8, 2020 and July 22, 2020, the researchers found 33 patients with a history of weight loss surgery. Patients were identified (20 patients underwent sleeve gastrectomy and 13 patients with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass). Thirty-three surgical patients were carefully matched to obese non-surgical patients at 1:10 and a cohort of 330 control patients with a body mass index of 40 or greater at the time of the SARS-CoV-2 test was collected.

This consistent cohort study of 363 patients found that sustained weight loss and improved diabetes and hypertension in the weight loss surgery group prior to COVID-19 infection resulted in much lower and ICU admission rates. Showed to be related.

Eighteen percent of patients in the weight loss surgery group and 42% of patients in the control group required hospitalization after being infected with COVID-19. In addition, 13% of patients in the control group required ICU admission, 7% required mechanical ventilation, and 2.4% died. None of these occurred in the surgery group.

“Patients after obesity surgery are much healthier and better able to fight the virus,” adds Dr. Aminian. “If confirmed by future research, this can be added to a long list of health benefits of Obesity surgery Diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, improvement of sleep apnea, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, prevention of death, etc. “

Another Cleveland Clinic study found that weight loss Surgery Associated with a 40% reduction in the risk of death and cardiac complications patient With diabetes obesity..