Unmasking the Role of Obesity in COVID-19: Effects on Laboratory parameters, inflammatory Markers and Clinical outcome

Abstract

Objectives: To compare the outcome in obese and non-obese covid positive patients. Methodology: In this retrospective study, data were obtained from the records of 150 COVID-positive pat-ients, aged 18-80 years, admitted to Railway Hospital Rawalpindi and Riphah International Hospital Sihala from July 2021 to November 2022. Patients were divi-ded into two groups on the basis of BMI. They were cat-egorised into two groups: obese and non-obese. Labora-tory parameters, inflammatory markers and outcomes were compared in two groups. Results: Blood gas analysis revealed significantly hig-her pCO₂ levels (62.01±21.98 vs 54.35±12.43 mmHg, p=0.011) and lower PO2 in obese as compared to non-obese (62.96±12.07 vs 65.85±11.09 mmHg, p=0.038). No significant differences were observed between the two groups for ferritin, d-dimers, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Obese patients had significantly higher glycosylated hemoglobin (Hb-A1c) levels (6.98±1.85% vs 6.17±1.64%, p=0.005). Oxygen requirements at discharge and mortality rate were significantly higher in obese as compared to non-obese (1.48±1.3 vs 0.70±1.05 L/min, p<0.001, and 33 (40.2%) deaths compared to 10 (14.7%), p=0.001). Conclusion: Obese covid positive patients were more likely to have poor outcome in terms of increase morta-lity.