Adult obesity and risk of severe infections: a multicohort study with global burden estimates - PubMed
3 months ago
- #global health
- #obesity
- #infections
- Adult obesity is linked to a higher risk of severe infections, including hospitalizations and mortality.
- The study analyzed data from Finnish cohorts and UK Biobank, categorizing participants by BMI (healthy weight, overweight, obesity classes I-III).
- Class III obesity showed a three-times higher risk of infection-related hospital admissions and death compared to healthy weight individuals.
- The association was consistent across various obesity indicators (BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio) and different types of infections (bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal).
- Population attributable fractions of infection-related deaths due to obesity were estimated at 8.6% (2018), 15.0% (2021), and 10.8% (2023).
- Approximately one in ten infection-related deaths worldwide might be attributable to obesity.
- The study was funded by Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, and Research Council of Finland.