
Excess bodyweight is linked to experiencing long-COVID neurologic symptoms, including headaches, vertigo, sleep problems and depression, according to a meta-analysis of studies involving almost 140,000 participants published yesterday in PLOS One.
Overall, the studies included 79,050 people with excess weight compared to 57,926 normal-weight people and 30,694 individuals with obesity compared to 107,612 non-obese individuals.
Excess weight was associated with a higher rate of depression in long COVID (risk ratio [RR], 1.21 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03 to 1.42), memory issues (RR 1.43; 95% CI, 1.24 to 1.65), and sleep disturbance (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.48), or increases of 21%, 43%, and 30%, respectively.
Obesity was significantly associated with persistent headache (RR 1.45; 95% CI, 1.37 to 1.53), and numbness (RR 1.61; 95% CI, 1.46 to 1.78). Obesity was also linked to persistent loss of taste and smell.
Fat tissue may act as virus reservoir
"These findings suggest that EW [excess weight] might contribute to the development of these symptoms that persist for more than 12 weeks after COVID-19 onset," the authors concluded. "Moreover, this study is opportune as we transition into the post-pandemic period facing the challenges of managing the co-occurrence of pandemics, including overweight/obesity, mental health issues, and the burden of PCC [post-COVID condition, or long COVID]."
The authors explain that the mechanisms behind the association between neurologic symptoms and excess weight are not clear, but it may be because of metabolic disorders already found in the overweight participants before COVID infection.
The adipose tissue plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 entry and deposition, and it may serve as a reservoir for virus spread.
Alternatively, the authors wrote, "The role of EW in the progression of COVID-19 is not fully understood, though it may be linked to an exaggerated inflammatory response or pre-existing genetic factors that these conditions share. The adipose tissue plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 entry and deposition, and it may serve as a reservoir for virus spread."