Energy balance
Intentional weight loss, particularly through bariatric surgery, significantly reduces the risk of hospitalization and ICU admission for patients with severe obesity who contract COVID-19.
For individuals with severe obesity, bariatric surgery can lead to significant weight loss and a substantially lower risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization and ICU admission. While surgery is a major decision, it should be considered as a viable option for those who meet the criteria, as it can offer substantial health benefits beyond weight loss.
a retrospective bariatric surgery analysis suggests people who lose (around 12 BMI units) weight through bariatric surgery are at 69% lower risk of hospitalisation and lower risk for ICU admission than pre-surgery BMI-comparable people who had not undergone surgery.
Why this rating
The evidence comes from a retrospective observational study (Aminian et al.) with a small sample size (33 surgery patients vs 330 controls), which has limitations but provides notable indirect evidence.
Source
Obesity as a Risk Factor for Severe COVID-19: Summary of the Best Evidence and Implications for Health Care
Naveed Sattar et al. · Current Obesity Reports · 2021
DOI 10.1007/s13679-021-00448-8
More from this paper
- Higher body mass index (BMI) is a strong, linear, and likely causal risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes, including hospitalization and death, with risk increasing by approximately 5-10% per kg/m² increase in BMI.Strong
- Obesity contributes to metabolic derangements, poorer lung and kidney function, vascular health issues, low-grade inflammation, and thrombotic potential, which collectively reduce the body's capacity to cope with the systemic effects of the hyperimmune response in COVID-19.Good
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →