Obesity may be a factor in more than 10% infection related deatha new study shows.

Researchers analyzed 14 years of medical data on nearly 550,000 adults in Finland and the UK and found that obese patients were 70% more likely to be hospitalized or die from infections.

The average age of Finnish patients was 42 years, while the average age of British patients was 57 years. Obesity is defined as a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or above.

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Those with “Grade 3 obesityAccording to a study news release, people with a BMI of 40 or higher were three times more likely to be hospitalized for infection, death or any other outcome compared with people with a healthy BMI (between 18.5 and 24.9).

Based on risk calculations, the researchers estimate that about 9% of infection-related deaths in 2018 will be caused by obesity, about 15% in 2021, and about 11% in 2023.

Obesity may be a factor in more than 10% of infection-related deaths, a new study suggests. (iStock)

The association held even among obese people without diabetes, heart disease or metabolic syndrome. Amount of physical activity also did not appear to affect the association.

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The study, published in The Lancet, examined the prevalence of 925 species of bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. infectious diseaseincluding influenza, COVID-19, pneumonia, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections, and lower respiratory tract infections.

The researchers found that in terms of adverse outcomes, nearly all types of infection were associated with a higher risk of obesity.

“People may not be more susceptible to infection, but it is clearly more difficult to recover from infection.”

“As we all know, obesity is a factor in metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and many other chronic diseases,” the study’s lead author Professor Mika Kivimaki of UCL’s School of Brain Sciences said in a press release.

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“Here, we found strong evidence that obesity is also associated with worse outcomes from infectious diseases, with very ill Infections caused by infection were significantly more common in obese people. “

The conditions most closely associated with obesity are skin and soft tissue infections.

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Professor Kivimaki added: “Our findings suggest that obesity weakens the body’s defenses against infection, leading to more severe disease. People may not be more susceptible to infection, but it is clearly more difficult to recover from infection.”

Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that up to 11% of infection-related deaths globally could be prevented by addressing obesity.

Those with “class 3 obesity” who had a body mass index of 40 or higher were three times more likely to be hospitalized for infection, death or any other outcome. (iStock)

Those who are initially obese and then weight loss The study found that their risk of serious infection was reduced by about 20%.

“As global obesity rates are expected to rise, so will the number of deaths and hospitalizations from obesity-related infectious diseases,” first author Dr. Solja Nyberg of the University of Helsinki commented in the press release.

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“Policies are urgently needed to reduce the risk of serious infections and other health problems associated with obesity Help people stay healthy Support weight loss, such as access to affordable healthy foods and physical activity. “

She also stressed the importance of obese people getting vaccinated promptly.

One researcher said: “To reduce the risk of serious infections and other health problems associated with obesity, there is an urgent need for policies that help people stay healthy and support weight loss, such as access to affordable healthy foods and physical activity.” (iStock)

The study does have some limitations, the researchers note, primarily that it only shows a strong link between obesity and infection severity, but does not prove cause and effect.

There is also some debate about the reliability of BMI as a definition of obesity.

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The study was limited to adults in Finnish and UK biobanks, so may not be applicable to other populations.

The research was funded by Wellcome, the Medical Research Council and the Research Council of Finland.