Cellular and Biochemical Mechanisms Driving the Susceptibility of Obese Subjects to Covid-19 Infection

Abstract

Overweight is a major global health problem currently affecting almost 2 billion people worldwide. An additional 800 million are obese. These figures showed that 40% of the global adult population aged 18 years, and over are overweight while 14% are obese. What is now worrying is that more than 40 million children worldwide, as young as 5 years of age are either overweight or obese. Individuals with a body mass index (BMI) of 25-29 kg/m 2 are considered to be overweight while obesity is the term used when the BMI is 30 kg/m 2 and over. Obesity is an imbalance between calorie intake and calorie expenditure. In general, obesity can be caused by excessive eating and reduced physical activity. Obesity is a major risk factor for non-communicable diseases such as diabetes mellitus, respiratory and liver dysfunctions, sleep apnea, chronic inflammation, compromised immune system, renal failure, cancer, musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular diseases and others. Obesity is also a major risk factor for coronavirus disease 19 , which can induce severe cases of pneumonia and sepsis or acute respiratory distress syndrome. In many cases, Covid-19 causes severe and long-lasting damage to the lungs and other vital organs of the body resulting in death. This review describes the cellular and biochemical mechanism(s) whereby obese patients become susceptible to Covid-19 infection. It also outlines how obesity on its own can affect the lungs, which in turn become more compromised in cases of Covid-19 disease resulting in the imminent death of the patient.

Diabetes-induced chronic heart failure is due to defects in calcium transporting and regulatory contractile proteins: cellular and molecular evidence

“…Processes described above (see also figure 2) contribute to structural and functional changes in the heart such as left ventricular muscle disarray and hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis, oxidative stress and increased cell death [128]. The result is diastolic and systolic dysfunctions as well cardiac arrhythmias and eventually SCD [129].…”