Overweight and Obesity are Risk Factors for Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Propensity Score-Matched Case-Control Study

• Published in: Endocrinology and metabolism (Seoul) Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 196 - 200
• Main Authors: Ji, Wonjun, Lee, Rugyeom, Huh, Kyungmin, Kang, Minsun, Hwang, In Cheol, Radnaabaatar, Munkhzul, Lee, Dae Ho, Jung, Jaehun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Korean Endocrine Society 01.02.2021; 대한내분비학회
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Body Mass Index; Brief Report; Case-Control Studies; covid-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - etiology; COVID-19 - virology; COVID-19 Testing - statistics & numerical data; Databases, Factual; Female; Humans; infections; Male; Middle Aged; obesity; Obesity - physiopathology; Obesity - virology; Odds Ratio; overweight; Overweight - physiopathology; Overweight - virology; Propensity Score; Registries; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2; Young Adult; 내과학; COVID-19; Obesity; Infections; Overweight
• ISSN: 2093-596X; 2093-5978; 2093-5978
• DOI: 10.3803/EnM.2020.856

Although obesity is a risk factor for infection, whether it has the same effect on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) need confirming. We conducted a retrospective propensity score matched case-control study to examine the association between obesity and COVID-19. This study included data from the Nationwide COVID-19 Registry and the Biennial Health Checkup database, until May 30, 2020. We identified 2,231 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and 10-fold-matched negative test controls. Overweight (body mass index [BMI] 23 to 24.9 kg/m2; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1.03 to 1.30) and class 1 obesity (BMI 25 to 29.9 kg/m2; aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.42) had significantly increased COVID-19 risk, while classes 2 and 3 obesity (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) showed similar but non-significant trend. Females and those <50 years had more robust association pattern. Overweight and obesity are possible risk factors of COVID-19.