SARS-CoV-2 infection and obesity: Common inflammatory and metabolic aspects

Backround and aims: According to the World Obesity Federation, obesity-related conditions seem to worsen the effect of Covid-19 (SARS-CoV-2); additionally the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reported that people with heart disease and diabetes are at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 complications and that severe obesity poses a higher risk for severe illness. Recent reports have shown elevated levels of cytokines due to increased inflammation in patients with SARS-CoV-2 disease. On the other hand, obesity represents a state of low-grade inflammation, with various inflammatory products directly excreted by adipose tissue. In this concise report we aimed to assess common elements of obesity and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Pubmed search on obesity and SARS-CoV-2 infection. Results: We present mechanistic' obesity-related problems that aggravate SARS-CoV-2 infection as well as tentative inflammatory/metabolic links between these diseases. Conclusion: Obesity and SARS-CoV-2 share common elements of the inflammatory process (and possibly also metabolic disturbances), exacerbating SARS-CoV-2 infection in the obese. (C) 2020 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.