The predictive role of Body Mass Index on COVID-۱۹: A systematic review

Background and objective: SARS-CoV-۲ is a group of coronaviruses that continue to amaze humanity with their new mutations. More than a year after the pandemic broke out, there is still ambiguities about this disease for medical specialists. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) with the severity and risk of mortality of patients with Covid-۱۹.Search Method: In this systematic review, in the first phase, ۶۹ articles were searched in PubMed, Springer, Science Direct, Web of science with keywords of Body Mass Index, Covid-۱۹, Obesity, Coronavirus, Overweight with "and", "or" Boolean in the year ۲۰۱۹ to ۲۰۲۱ were identified without any limitations in study design. No articles were found in Persian. thus, by reviewing the titles, unrelated articles were deleted, and then full-text articles that directly investigate the effect of obesity or BMI on the incidence, severity and mortality of Covid-۱۹ were selected by reading the abstract and conclusion. Finally, ۱۵ English articles including ۷ cohorts, ۳ meta-analyzes, ۱ systematic review, ۲ cross-sections and ۲ retrospectives were reviewed carefully.Finding: The analysis of ۷ cohort studies showed that, with increasing BMI, both disease severity and mortality risk (۲studies), and only disease severity increased and had an unknown effect on mortality (۴studies). Found no correlation between BMI and disease severity and mortality (۱study).Each unit increase in BMI entail a ۷۰% higher mortality risk(۱study), grade ۱ obesity affected disease severity and grade ۲ and ۳ obesity affected mortality risk(۱study). Positive correlation between BMI and disease severity and mortality (۳ Meta-analyzes and ۲ Retrospectives). BMI as merely an indicator of nutritional status and treatment choices (۱review).Young people with high BMI experience more severe levels of the disease and formed the majority of patients and hospitalizations due to Covid-۱۹ (۲cross-sectional)Conclusion:Most studies consider BMI>۳۰ to increase the severity of the disease,although the differences between different groups of BMI are still not precisely defined and it seems that other parameters,such as waist size, insulin level,etc.in this relationships are involved.The ambiguous association of BMI with mortality risk requires more extensive and accurate studies.

کلیدواژه ها:

BMI ، COVID-۱۹ ، Obesity ، Overweight ، Coronavirus