• Suraj Suresh, Mohammad Siddiqui, Mouhanna Abu Ghanimeh, Jessica Jou, Stephen Simmer, Vivek Mendiratta, Sarah Russell, Mustafa Al-Shammari, Abigail Chatfield, Eva Alsheik, Duyen Dang, Jeffrey Genaw, and Tobias Zuchelli.
• Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Henry Ford Hospital, 2799 West Grand Blvd, Detroit, Michigan 48202, US. Electronic address: ssuresh1@hfhs.org.
• Obes Res Clin Pract. 2021 Mar 1; 15 (2): 172-176.

BackgroundAlthough recent studies have shown an association between obesity and adverse coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient outcomes, there is a paucity in large studies focusing on hospitalized patients. We aimed to analyze outcomes associated with obesity in a large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients.MethodsWe performed a retrospective study at a tertiary care health system of adult patients with COVID-19 who were admitted between March 1 and April 30, 2020. Patients were stratified by body mass index (BMI) into obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2) and non-obese (BMI < 30 kg/m 2) cohorts. Primary outcomes were mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, intubation, and 30-day readmission.ResultsA total of 1983 patients were included of whom 1031 (51.9%) had obesity and 952 (48.9%) did not have obesity. Patients with obesity were younger (P < 0.001), more likely to be female (P < 0.001) and African American (P < 0.001) compared to patients without obesity. Multivariable logistic models adjusting for differences in age, sex, race, medical comorbidities, and treatment modalities revealed no difference in 60-day mortality and 30-day readmission between obese and non-obese groups. In these models, patients with obesity had increased odds of ICU admission (adjusted OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.07-1.76; P = 0.012) and intubation (adjusted OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.04-1.80; P = 0.026).ConclusionsObesity in patients with COVID-19 is independently associated with increased risk for ICU admission and intubation. Recognizing that obesity impacts morbidity in this manner is crucial for appropriate management of COVID-19 patients.Copyright © 2021 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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