Excess weight, not high blood sugar, is associated with an increased risk of COVID infection + long COVID. MedTwitter
Excess weight, not high blood sugar, is associated with an increased risk of COVID-19 infection and long COVID, say researchers.
"We know that many people living with type 2 diabetes are also carrying excess weight," she highlighted. However, the researchers said, the underlying mechanisms, and their role in long COVID "remains unclear".
For the study, up to 31,252 participants were included, and had data on previous measurements and had completed at least one questionnaire during the COVID-19 pandemic covering questions on coronavirus and on the length of ongoing COVID-19-related symptoms. The researchers said that similar results were observed for long COVID, the risk being 20% higher for each 5 kg/mincrease in BMI. People with overweight and obesity had 20% and 36% greater odds of long COVID, respectively, the authors said. However, for both COVID infection and long COVID, associations with categories of BMI were not all statistically significant, the authors pointed out, "so we cannot be sure they are not due to chance".