Researchers uncover how SARS-CoV-2 exposure stabilizes BMI in adults, offering crucial insights into the pandemic's lasting impact on weight and health disparities. Study: Body mass index changes and their association with SARS-CoV-2 infection: a real-world analysis . Image Credit: New Africa / Shutterstock A real-world study has explored the association between changes in body mass index (BMI) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among adults.
The study is published in the International Journal of Obesity . Background Real-world studies conducted throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have identified certain cardiometabolic health conditions, including obesity and diabetes, as significant risk factors for COVID-19 severity and mortality. Studies involving long-COVID patients have indicated that SARS-CoV-2 infection can even worsen cardiometabolic health, as increased rates of diabetes, high blood pressure, and dyslipidemia have been observed among infected individuals.
Real-world evidence on the magnitude and direction of changes in cardiometabolic risk factors during the post-acute period of COVID-19 is particularly needed to understand the mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 infection increases the rates of cardiometabolic health conditions. In this real-world study, scientists have compared the changes in BMI over time between individuals with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as a pre-pandemic group of individu.