Obese Patients Who Received Weight Loss Treatments Found with Lower Risks of Developing Severe COVID-19

New COVID-19 research shows that body mass and the coronavirus have a striking correlation. Based on the study, a significant weight loss could protect people against the complications of the disease. The results were extracted from patients who had undergone weight loss before being infected with the coronavirus.

Data showed that groups who were able to surpass challenges in obesity through weight loss intervention had 60 percent lower risks of being inflicted with severe COVID-19 impacts.

Obesity and COVID-19

COLOMBIA-BEAUTY-HEALTH-SURGERY-POST BARIATRIC — Plastic surgeon Carlos del Pino Roxo (C) gives instructions for a post bariatric surgery to Yuli Cruz (botton) at a clinic center, in Cali, Colombia, on October 16, 2014. Cruz, a Colombian secretary, is undergoing a post bariatric surgery to remove skin excess after a bariatric surgery made her lose about 50 kilos in weight. LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images

Experts from Cleveland Clinic recently conducted a study, and they observed that patients who overcame obesity have a lower chance of being affected with COVID-19 complications. According to the research, the individuals treated with bariatric surgery had lesser risks of being infected with severe symptoms brought by coronavirus infection. Rates from obese patients that went through the operation went to at least 60 percent lower risk.

Numerous medical studies surfaced throughout the pandemic were intentionally focused on the effects of SARS-CoV-2 in patients with obesity. Like in many other cases, the condition could put the overall health of an individual when they are struck with separate illnesses. In the study, the experts' main subject was the corresponding influence of being overweight upon contracting COVID-19.

Obesity is known as one of the most widespread challenges in health that could affect anyone at any age. When a person is diagnosed with obesity, their immune system could significantly weaken, and chronic inflammatory conditions may be experienced frequently. Moreover, obese patients have no control over the state of their heart, which suffers from overworking and could lead to multiple cardiovascular diseases.

Alongside the heart organ, problems in the lungs and bloodstreams could show up inevitably. With that said, the collective risks brought by simply being overweight could worsen COVID-19 complications. The study was conducted to learn more about the corresponding interventions on obesity and weight loss before incurring any severe effects of COVID-19. It also aims to know the extent of complications and development of other diseases once the patient comes in contact with the virus.

Weight Loss Treatments Could Lower Risk of COVID-19 Illnesses by 60 Percent

Cleveland Clinic's Bariatric and Metabolic Institute expert and director Ali Aminian, who authored the research, said in a EurekAlert report that their team found that substantial and sustained weight loss treatments could help the obese patients evade the research the risks of developing new diseases during COVID-19 detection by 60 percent.

The expert added that their study concludes obesity as a modifiable factor related to COVID-19, which offers a high risk of disease but, when given the proper treatment, could suffice weight loss and lessen the impending illnesses induced by the coronavirus.

The study was made possible through the help of over 20,200 participants diagnosed with obesity and belonging to the adult age group. From the collective observational patients, 5.053 individuals were recorded with a body mass index (BMI) ranging from 35 and over.

The investigation was carried out with data collected from all of the patients, both surgical and non-operated, between 2004 and 2017. Prior to 2020, surgical patients that had gone through bariatric treatment had 19 percent of their body weight removed. The same patients were recorded with better outcomes after being detected with COVID-19 during the surge of the pandemic in the state of Cleveland.

In conclusion, patients who had weight-loss surgery had a 63 percent lower risk of induced oxygen assistance, 60 percent lower risk of developing symptoms of the coronavirus disease, and 49 percent lower chances of being hospitalized. The study was published in JAMA Surgery, titled "Association of Weight Loss Achieved Through Metabolic Surgery With Risk and Severity of COVID-19 Infection."