In December 2019, a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in Wuhan, China, causing outbreaks of the coronavirus disease COVID-19 that has now spread globally. For this reason, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a public health emergency in March 2020. People living with pre-existing conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes (T2D), and chronic kidney and lung diseases, are prone to develop severe forms of disease with fatal outcomes. Metabolic diseases such as obesity and T2D alter the balance of innate and adaptive responses. Both diseases share common features characterized by augmented adiposity associated with a chronic systemic low-grade inflammation, senescence, immunoglobulin glycation, and abnormalities in the number and function of adaptive immune cells. In obese and T2D patients infected by SARS-CoV-2, where immune cells are already hampered, this response appears to be stronger. In this review, we describe the abnormalities of the immune system, and summarize clinical findings of COVID-19 patients with pre-existing conditions such as obesity and T2D as this group is at greater risk of suffering severe and fatal clinical outcomes.

Background Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are key risk factors for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Little information exists on the prevalence of obesity and MetS in Latin America and specifically in Ecuador. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and MetS among adults in Ecuador. Methods We analyzed data from a nation-wide population-based survey in Ecuador (ENSANUT-ECU) among 10,318 participants (3684 men, 6634 women; age range: 18–59 years) conducted in 2012. Data related to residential location (urban versus rural), altitude (< 500, 500–1500 or > 1500 m above sea level (MASL)), region (highland, coast, amazon, or Galápagos), and socioeconomic status were collected. BMI, waist circumference, blood lipids, glucose, and blood pressure were measured by trained fieldworkers following standardized procedures. Results The age-standardized prevalence of overweight was 39.5%; 22.3% was obese; and 31.2% had MetS. The prevalence of obesity, low HDL-cholesterol, and abdominal obesity were higher in women than in men, whereas men had a higher prevalence of hypertension (p < 0.05). Sex differences were not observed regarding the prevalence of combined MetS. Prevalence of both obesity and MetS was higher in urban areas, at low altitude regions (coast and Galapagos), and at high socioeconomic status (all p < 0.05). Conclusions Prevalence of obesity and MetS in Ecuador are high. There are important demographic differences in the prevalence of MetS between Ecuadorian subpopulations that requires targeted research and prevention efforts, to hold and reduce the current public health problem of metabolic disorders.

Introduction Sepsis is a public health problem due to its high prevalence and mortality. Mean platelet volume (MPV), a biomarker reported in routine blood counts, has been investigated and shows promise for determining fatal outcomes in septic patients. Objective Evaluate whether the mean platelet volume (MPV) and mean platelet volume-to-platelet count (MPV/P) ratio are predictors of clinical severity and mortality in patients with sepsis. Methods A prospective population cohort of 163 patients aged 18–97 years was recruited at the Intensive Care Unit of Pablo Arturo Hospital, Quito, Ecuador from 2017–2019 and followed up for 28 days. Patients were diagnosed with sepsis based on SEPSIS-3 septic shock criteria; in which the MPV and the MPV/P ratio were measured on days 1, 2, and 3. Sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score and presence of septic shock assessed clinical severity. Mortality on day 28 was considered the fatal outcome. Results The average age of the patients was 61,15 years (SD 20,94) and female sex was predominant. MPV cutoff points at days 1, 2 and 3 were >9,45fL, >8,95fL and >8, 85fL; and (MPV/P) ratio >8, 18, >4, 12 y >3, 95, respectively. MPV at days 2 (9,85fL) and 3 (8,55fL) and (MPV/P) ratio at days 1 (4,42), 2 (4,21), and 3 (8,55), were predictors of clinical severity assessed by septic shock, which reached significance in the ROC curves. MPV and (MPV/P) ratio were also predictors of clinical severity determined by SOFA at days 1, 2, and 3, where higher values were observed in non-survivors reaching significance in all categories. MPV and MPV/P ratio at days 1, 2 and 3 were independent predictor factors of mortality using Cox proportional hazards model (HR 2,31; 95% CI 1,36–3,94), (HR 2,11; 95% CI 1,17–3,82), (HR 2,13; 95% CI 1,07–4,21) and (HR 2,38; 95% CI 1,38–4,12), (HR 2,15; 95% CI 1,14–4,06), (HR 4,43; 95% CI, 1,72–11,37) respectively. Conclusions MPV and the MPV/P ratio are predictors of clinical severity and mortality in sepsis. The MPV and its coefficient are indicators of the biological behavior of platelets in sepsis. They should be considered as a cost-effective and rapidly available tool that guides the treatment.

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