Visceral fat is associated to the severity of COVID-19.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Excess visceral fat (VF) or high body mass index (BMI) is risk factors for severe COVID-19. The receptor for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is expressed at higher levels in the VF than in the subcutaneous fat (SCF) of obese patients.

Aim

To show that visceral fat accumulation better predicts severity of COVID-19 outcome compared to either SCF amounts or BMI.

Methods

We selected patients with symptomatic COVID-19 and a computed tomography (CT) scan. Severe COVID-19 was defined as requirement for mechanical ventilation or death. Fat depots were quantified on abdominal CT scan slices and the measurements were correlated with the clinical outcomes. ACE 2 mRNA levels were quantified in fat depots of a separate group of non-COVID-19

SUBMITTER: Favre G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7685947 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature