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Obesity and hypertriglyceridemia: high risks for disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients 

NI Su-Jie¹, GAO Jian-Lin¹, Steven S. Shen^2,*

¹Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong 226006, China；²The Institute for Health Informatics, Clinical Translational Science Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA

Abstract

As COVID-19 pandemic approaching its third year, more data have shown that obesity and hypertriglyceridemia are the high-risk factors for the major complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome, thromboembolism, coagulopathy and cytokine storm, which are responsible for the majority of disease severity and mortality. In this review article, we have analyzed the public available clinical reports and laboratory research results of the COVID-19 studies by researchers and clinicians of many nations around the world. Many of these reports covered COVID-19 patients of different ethnic groups. We suggested that obesity and high triglycerides are high risks for severe COVID-19 and death. We also summarized the possible underlying molecular mechanism likely connecting the severe COVID-19 with obesity and hypertriglyceridemia. From public health perspective, we highlight the importance of the healthy diet and lifestyle in fighting against SARS-CoV-2 virus in long period of time. 

Key words: SARS-CoV-2; lipid metabolism; diet; COVID-19 prevention

Received: 　　Accepted:

Corresponding author: 沈树泉　　E-mail: shens@umn.edu

DOI: 10.13294/j.aps.2022.0080

Citing This Article：

NI Su-Jie, GAO Jian-Lin, Steven S. Shen. Obesity and hypertriglyceridemia: high risks for disease severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients . Acta Physiol Sin 2022; 74 (5): 783-791 (in Chinese with English abstract).