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Foulkes AS, Selvaggi C, Shinnick D, Lumish H, Kim E, Cao T, Thaweethai T, Qian J, Lu F, Yan J, Cheng D, He W, Clerkin KJ, Madhavan MV, Meigs JB, Triant VA, Lubitz SA, Gupta A, Bassett IV, Reilly MP. Understanding the Link Between Obesity and Severe COVID-19 Outcomes: Causal Mediation by Systemic Inflammatory Response. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2022; 107:e698-e707. [PMID: 34473294 PMCID: PMC8499919 DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgab629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obesity is an established risk factor for severe COVID-19 outcomes. The mechanistic underpinnings of this association are not well-understood. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the mediating role of systemic inflammation in obesity-associated COVID-19 outcomes. METHODS This hospital-based, observational study included 3828 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients who were hospitalized February to May 2020 at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) or Columbia University Irving Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital (CUIMC/NYP). We use mediation analysis to evaluate whether peak inflammatory biomarkers (C-reactive protein [CRP], erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], D-dimer, ferritin, white blood cell count and interleukin-6) are in the causal pathway between obesity (BMI ≥ 30) and mechanical ventilation or death within 28 days of presentation to care. RESULTS In the MGH cohort (n = 1202), obesity was associated with greater likelihood of ventilation or death (OR = 1.73; 95% CI = [1.25, 2.41]; P = 0.001) and higher peak CRP (P < 0.001) compared with nonobese patients. The estimated proportion of the association between obesity and ventilation or death mediated by CRP was 0.49 (P < 0.001). Evidence of mediation was more pronounced in patients < 65 years (proportion mediated = 0.52 [P < 0.001] vs 0.44 [P = 0.180]). Findings were more moderate but consistent for peak ESR. Mediation by other inflammatory markers was not supported. Results were replicated in CUIMC/NYP cohort (n = 2626). CONCLUSION Findings support systemic inflammatory pathways in obesity-associated severe COVID-19 disease, particularly in patients < 65 years, captured by CRP and ESR. Contextualized in clinical trial findings, these results reveal therapeutic opportunity to target systemic inflammatory pathways and monitor interventions in high-risk subgroups and particularly obese patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea S Foulkes
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Caitlin Selvaggi
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel Shinnick
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Heidi Lumish
- Division of Cardiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Eunyoung Kim
- Division of Cardiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Tingyi Cao
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Tanayott Thaweethai
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jing Qian
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Frances Lu
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Joyce Yan
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - David Cheng
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Wei He
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States of America
| | - Kevin J Clerkin
- Division of Cardiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Mahesh V Madhavan
- Division of Cardiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - James B Meigs
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Virginia A Triant
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Steven A Lubitz
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Aakriti Gupta
- Division of Cardiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Ingrid V Bassett
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Muredach P Reilly
- Division of Cardiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Irving Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
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