Derivation and validation of sex-specific continuous metabolic syndrome scores for the Mexican adult population.

Traditionally the diagnosis of Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is binary (present/absent). The goal of this work is to propose a sex-specific continuous score to measure the severity of MetS in Mexican adults using waist circumference and body mass index as adiposity measures. MetSx-WC and MetSx-BMI indexes by sex were derived by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using data for 6567 adult participants of the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2018. The overall fit of the two proposed CFA models was excellent. We then validated these scores using a community-based health study of 862 university participants and determined that the reliability and strength of agreement between the MetSx-WC and MetSx-BMI scores were excellent. The ROC analysis of the resulting indexes indicates that they have excellent ability to discriminate a MetS classification according to the different criteria. The correlations of MetSx scores and surrogate markers of insulin resistance and obesity ranged from weak to strong. Subsequently, a retrospective study of 310 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 was used to determined that MetSx-BMI score was associated with the mortality of patients with COVID-19. The proposed indices provide a continuous measure in the identification of MetS risk in Mexican adults.

The impact of body composition on mortality of COVID-19 hospitalized patients: A prospective study on abdominal fat, obesity paradox and sarcopenia.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Obesity has been described as a predisposing risk factor to severe forms of COVID-19, but conflicting results are emerging on its real impact on the mortality of COVID-19. We aimed to compare clinical outcomes and mortality among COVID-19 patients according to obesity, metabolic syndrome and adiposity distribution. METHODS: We conducted a prospective observational study of all consecutive adult patients with a confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection admitted to the Infectious Diseases Clinic at Udine Hospital, Italy, from January 2021 to February 2021. At admission, the study population was submitted to specific anthropometric, laboratory and bioimpedance analysis (BIA) measurements and divided into five groups according to: 1) BMI < or >30 kg/m2; 2) waist circumference (WC) < or >98 cm for women, < or >102 cm for men; 3) presence or absence of metabolic syndrome (MS); 4) visceral adipose tissue (VAT) distribution; and 5) presence or absence of sarcopenia (SP) both based on BIA. We then compared clinical outcomes (ventilatory support, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ICU length of stay, total hospital length of stay and mortality), immune and inflammatory makers and infectious and non-infectious acute complications within the five groups. RESULTS: A total of 195 patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age of patients was 71 years (IQR 61-80) and 64.6% (126) were male. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (55.9%) and MS (55.4%). Overall mortality was 19.5%. Abdominal adiposity, measured both with WC and with BIA, and SP were significantly associated with need for increased ventilator support (p = 0.013 for WC; p = 0.037, 0.027 and 0.009 for VAT; p = 0.004 and 0.036 for FMI; and p = 0.051 for SP), but not with ICU admission (WC p = 0.627, VAT p = 0.153, FMI p = 0.519 and SP p = 0.938), length of stay (WC p = 0.345, VAT p = 0.650, FMI p = 0.159 and SP p = 0.992) and mortality (WC p = 0.277, VAT p = 0.533, FMI p = 0.957 and SP p = 0.211). Obesity and MS did not discriminate for the intensity of ventilatory outcome (p = 0.142 and p = 0.198, respectively), ICU admission (p = 0.802 and p = 0.947, respectively), length of stay (p = 0.471 and p = 0.768, respectively) and mortality (p = 0.495 and p = 0.268, respectively). We did not find significant differences in inflammatory markers and secondary complications within the five groups. CONCLUSIONS: In patients admitted with COVID-19, increased WC, visceral abdominal fat and SP are associated with higher need for ventilatory support. However, obesity, MS, SP and abdominal adiposity are not sensitive predictive factors for mortality.

Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on Severity of COVID-19 Illness.

Background: Hypertension, diabetes, and obesity are common comorbidities that portend worse outcomes due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Metabolic syndrome is the common denominator of these conditions. This study aims to characterize the association of metabolic syndrome and its surrogate biomarkers with severity of COVID-19 illness. Methods: This retrospective study included adult patients who tested for COVID-19 at an academic tertiary care institution between March 8, 2020, and May 17, 2020. Metabolic syndrome was defined by the modified World Health Organization criteria. Outcomes of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death were analyzed. Results: There were 23,282 patients who tested for COVID-19 and 3679 (15.8%) had a positive result. Of these, metabolic syndrome was present in 834 (39%) of 2139 patients with available data. Patients with metabolic syndrome tended to be older, male, African American, heavier, and with more comorbidities. Metabolic syndrome was associated with higher rates of hospital admission and death (P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, patients with metabolic syndrome had an increased risk of 77% for hospitalization, 56% for ICU admission, and 81% for death (P < 0.001). High AST:ALT and TG:HDL-C ratios were associated with hospitalization and ICU admission, but not mortality. Conclusions: Patients with metabolic syndrome had significantly worse hospitalization and mortality rates due to COVID-19, even after adjusting for covariates. Targeting obesity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and hypertension could address modifiable risk factors to reduce mortality due to COVID-19.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is associated with COVID-19 severity independently of metabolic syndrome: a retrospective case-control study.

AIM: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a recently encountered disease that was declared a pandemic by WHO in 2020. Obesity and other components of the metabolic syndrome may aggravate the severity of COVID-19. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible association between MAFLD and COVID-19 severity. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, case-control study, enrolling 71 consecutive COVID-19 patients who were divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of fatty liver by computed tomography scan. All medical records of eligible patients were reviewed including demographic, clinical, laboratory parameters and data regarding the presence of NAFLD and COVID-19 severity. RESULTS: NAFLD was identified in 22/71 (31%) of the study group. Out of 71, thirteen suffered from severe COVID-19. NAFLD patients had more severe COVID-19 compared with non-NAFLD subjects, 8/22 (36.3%) vs. 5/49(10.2%), (P < 0.005), respectively. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that NAFLD subjects were more likely to have severe COVID-19 disease (odds ratio 3.57, 95% confidence interval: 1.22, 14.48, P = 0.0031). CONCLUSION: NAFLD represents a high risk for severe COVID-19 irrespective to gender, and independent of metabolic syndrome specifically in male gender. Moreover, obesity, hypertension and metabolic syndrome were also significantly associated with severe COVID-19.

Metabolically unhealthy individuals, either with obesity or not, have a higher risk of critical coronavirus disease 2019 outcomes than metabolically healthy individuals without obesity.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the relative and independent contributions of impaired metabolic health and obesity to critical coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). METHODS: We analyzed 4069 COVID-19 patients between January and June 2020 in South Korea, classified into four groups according to metabolic health status and body mass index (BMI): metabolically healthy normal weight (MHNW), metabolically unhealthy normal weight (MUNW), metabolically healthy obesity (MHO), and metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO). The primary outcome was a composite of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), and death. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) for the outcome. RESULTS: The incidence rate (per 100 person-months) of critical COVID-19 was the lowest in the MHNW group (0.90), followed by the MHO (1.64), MUNW (3.37), and MUO (3.37) groups. Compared with MHNW, a significantly increased risk of critical COVID-19 was observed in MUNW (HR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.01-1.98) and MUO (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.39-2.44) but not in MHO (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.98-2.23). The risk of ICU admission or IMV/ECMO was increased only in MUO; however, the risk of death was significantly higher in MUNW and MUO. The risk of critical COVID-19 increased insignificantly by 2% per 1 kg/m2 BMI increase but significantly by 13% per 1 metabolically unhealthy component increase, even after mutually adjusting for BMI and metabolic health status. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic health is more important to COVID-19 outcomes than obesity itself, suggesting that metabolic health status should be considered for a precise and tailored management of COVID-19 patients.

The vicious cycle: a history of obesity and COVID-19.

Recently, we face a surge in the fast-forward Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with nearly 170 million confirmed cases and almost 3.5 million confirmed deaths at the end of May 2021. Obesity, also known as the pandemic of the 21st century, has been evolving as an adverse prognostic marker. Obesity is associated with a higher risk of being SARS-CoV-2-positive (46%), as well as hospitalization (113%) and death (48%) due to COVID-19. It is especially true for subjects with morbid obesity. Also, observational studies suggest that in the case of COVID-19, no favorable "obesity paradox" is observed. Therefore, it is postulated to introduce a new entity, i.e., coronavirus disease-related cardiometabolic syndrome (CIRCS). In theory, it applies to all stages of COVID-19, i.e., prevention, acute proceedings (from COVID-19 diagnosis to resolution or three months), and long-term outcomes. Consequently, lifestyle changes, glycemic control, and regulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathway have crucial implications for preventing and managing subjects with COVID-19. Finally, it is crucial to use cardioprotective drugs such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers and statins. Nevertheless, there is the need to conduct prospective studies and registries better to evaluate the issue of obesity in COVID-19 patients.

Towards Goals to Refine Prophylactic and Therapeutic Strategies Against COVID-19 Linked to Aging and Metabolic Syndrome.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) gave rise to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A strong correlation has been demonstrated between worse COVID-19 outcomes, aging, and metabolic syndrome (MetS), which is primarily derived from obesity-induced systemic chronic low-grade inflammation with numerous complications, including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The majority of COVID-19 deaths occurs in people over the age of 65. Individuals with MetS are inclined to manifest adverse disease consequences and mortality from COVID-19. In this review, we examine the prevalence and molecular mechanisms underlying enhanced risk of COVID-19 in elderly people and individuals with MetS. Subsequently, we discuss current progresses in treating COVID-19, including the development of new COVID-19 vaccines and antivirals, towards goals to elaborate prophylactic and therapeutic treatment options in this vulnerable population.

Chronic Cardio-Metabolic Disease Increases the Risk of Worse Outcomes Among Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Multicenter, Retrospective, and Real-World Study.

Background Although chronic cardio-metabolic disease is a common comorbidity among patients with COVID-19, its effects on the clinical characteristics and outcome are not well known. Methods and Results This study aimed to explore the association between underlying cardio-metabolic disease and mortality with COVID-19 among hospitalized patients. This multicenter, retrospective, and real-world study was conducted from January 22, 2020 to March 25, 2020 in China. Data between patients with and without 5 main cardio-metabolic diseases including hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and hyperlipidemia were compared. A total of 1303 hospitalized patients were included in the final analysis. Of them, 520 patients (39.9%) had cardio-metabolic disease. Compared with patients without cardio-metabolic disease, more patients with cardio-metabolic disease had COVID-related complications including acute respiratory distress syndrome (9.81% versus 3.32%; P<0.001), acute kidney injury (4.23% versus 1.40%; P=0.001), secondary infection (13.9% versus 9.8%; P=0.026), hypoproteinemia (12.1% versus 5.75%; P<0.001), and coagulopathy (19.4% versus 10.3%; P<0.001), had higher incidences of the severe type of COVID-19 (32.9% versus 16.7%; P<0.001), more were admitted to the intensive care unit (11.7% versus 7.92%; P=0.021), and required mechanical ventilation (9.8% versus 4.3%; P<0.001). When the number of the patients' cardio-metabolic diseases was 0, 1, and >2, the mortality was 4.2%, 11.1%, and 19.8%, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of mortality among patients with cardio-metabolic disease was 1.80 (95% CI, 1.17-2.77). Conclusions Cardio-metabolic disease was a common condition among hospitalized patients with COVID-19, and it was associated with higher risks of in-hospital mortality.

The impact of metabolic syndrome on morbidity and mortality among intensive care unit admitted COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Given the limited information describing the connection between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), we aimed to assess the impact of MetS on morbidity and mortality among COVID-19 patients. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was performed from 1st April to May 3, 2020 on 157 ICU-admitted COVID-19 patients in Shahid Modarres Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Patients' clinical, laboratory and radiological findings, and subsequent complications, were collected and compared between MetS and non-MetS groups. RESULTS: 74 of all cases had MetS. Among the MetS components, waist circumference (p-value = 0.006 for men; p-value<0.0001 for women), Triglycerides (p-value = 0.002), and Fasting Blood Sugar (p-value = 0.007) were significantly higher in MetS group; with no statistical difference found in HDL levels (p-value = 0.21 for men; p-value = 0.13 for women), systolic blood pressure(p-value = 0.07), and diastolic blood pressure (p-value = 0.18) between two groups. Length of ICU admission (p-value = 0.009), the need for invasive mechanical ventilation (p-value = 0.0001), respiratory failure (p-value = 0.0008), and pressure ulcers (p-value = 0.02) were observed significantly more in MetS group. The Odds Ratio (OR) of mortality with 0(OR = 0.3660), 1(OR = 0.5155), 2(OR = 0.5397), 3(OR = 1.9511), 4(OR = 5.7018), and 5(OR = 8.3740) MetS components showed an increased mortality risk as the components' count increased. The patient with BMI>40 (OR = 6.9368) had more odds of fatality comparing to those with BMI>35 (OR = 4.0690) and BMI>30 (OR = 2.5287). Furthermore, the waist circumference (OR = 8.31; p-value<0.0001) and fasting blood sugar (OR = 2.4588; p-value = 0.0245) were obtained by multivariate logistic regression as independent prognostic factors for mortality. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest a strong relationship between having MetS and increased risk of severe complications and mortality among COVID-19 ICU-admitted patients.

Analyses of abdominal adiposity and metabolic syndrome as risk factors for respiratory distress in COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Several characteristics of the metabolic syndrome, such as obesity and hypertension, have emerged as risk factors for a poor clinical outcome in COVID-19. However, most reports lack data on the metabolic syndrome itself. This study investigated prospectively the relationship between respiratory deterioration and the presence of metabolic syndrome or abdominal adiposity in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: A prospective observational cohort study analysing patients with respiratory symptoms who presented at a local emergency department in the Netherlands. The influence of abdominal adiposity-assessed by an increased waist-hip ratio-and metabolic syndrome on respiratory deterioration and the length of hospital stay were analysed with multivariable logistic regressions and Kaplan-Meier analyses. RESULTS: In total, 166 patients were analysed, of whom 86 (52%) tested positive for COVID-19. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome did not differ between patients with COVID-19 with and without the need for intubation or level of supportive care (37.5% vs 48.4%, p=0.338). In contrast, abdominal adiposity is an independent risk factor for respiratory distress in COVID-19, adjusted for metabolic syndrome, age, gender and BMI (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.20, p=0.014). CONCLUSION: This study shows that abdominal adiposity, and not the presence of metabolic syndrome, is associated with clinical deterioration in COVID-19. This prospective study provides further insight into the risk stratification of patients with COVID-19 based on a simple measurement as the waist and hip circumference. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NL8580.