The evidence emerges from a study published in Obesity that emphasizes the importance of a recall as for frail people. We talked about it with one of its authors, Dr. Alexis Elias Malavazos
L’abdominal or visceral obesity, in other words belly fat, not only increases the risk of contracting severe forms of Covid, but it can also lead to a more rapid decrease of antibodies against theSars-CoV-2 coronavirus infection. For this very reason who is affected by abdominal obesity should undergo more urgently to the booster of the vaccine against the Covid-19. The appeal comes from Dr. Alexis Elias Malavazos, head of the Simple Operating Unit of Endocrinology and of the Clinical Nutrition and Cardiovascular Prevention Service at the San Donato Polyclinic and Researcher at the Department of Biomedical, Surgical and Dental Sciences of the University of Milan.
Doctor Malavazos is the author, together with Professor Massimiliano Marco Corsi Romanelli, director of the SMEL-1 Complex Operational Unit of Clinical Pathology at the San Donato Polyclinic and full professor of Clinical Pathology at the University of Milan, to Professor Gianluca Iacobellis, endocrinologist of the University of Miami, and to Professor Michele Carruba, president of the Study and Research Center on Obesity at the University of Milan, of a study published in the scientific journal Obesity showing a greater drop in antibody levels following the second dose of vaccine anti Covid in people with abdominal obesity.
Covid vaccine and abdominal obesity: the study –
In the study, the researchers observed that in individuals with abdominal obesity a significantly greater decrease in antibody levels is observed compared to those who present a normal distribution of adipose tissue already between the first and third month after the second dose of vaccine anti Covid. “For this reason the booster is strongly recommended for these subjects”, underlines Dr. Malavazos a Official Active. “Just because the antibodies decrease more rapidly in these people, even young people, than in those who have a normal distribution of adipose tissue, these subjects should be vaccine with a higher priority than people who don’t have previous pathologies or abdominal obesity. People with abdominal or visceral obesity they are also the ones most prone to severe forms of Covid-19, for this reason they should be considered to all intents and purposes as fragile patients ”, underlines the endocrinologist.
Abdominal obesity: fatty tissue on the belly is a disease –
“L’abdominal obesity is a disease characterized by one chronic inflammatory state low-grade inflammatory syndrom. So if those affected should fall ill with Covid-19 or other viral infections such as influenza would have the overlap of two inflammatory processes and would be more at risk of more severe disease, ”explains Dr Malavazos. The visceral adipose tissue that accumulates in the abdominal area, that is, on the belly, is in fact very different from the grasso that accumulates in other points of the body, such as the buttocks or arms: “The visceral fat it is a type of fatty tissue that it produces pro-inflammatory molecules. The subcutaneous fatty tissueinstead, it serves as an energy reserve and produces anti-inflammatory molecules. So when adipose tissue is normally distributed throughout the body it has a protective function: for example, in women, it promotes fertility. When the ability of subcutaneous fat cells to store energy reaches its limit, the cells begin to expand instead visceral adipose tissue, which are found around noble organs such as heart, kidney, liver and to fabrics such as muscle. So click thereinsulin resistance and a whole series of predispositions and complications such as the type 2 diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure “, explains the endocrinologist.
Abdominal obesity and the immune system –
However, it should be remembered when we can really talk about abdominal obesity and why the abdominal circumference it is more important in terms of health than the best known BMI (Body Mass Index), with effects also on immune system. “We can talk about abdominal obesity when the values of the abdominal circumference exceed 80 cm in women and 94 cm in men. In people with abdominal obesity the state of chronic inflammation mild slightly impairs the immune system, whether they are old or young “. In other words, the endocrinologist explains, it is as if “theirs immune system was slightly compromised, as if they were in a sense already old when young. Why is there‘aging is comparable toinflammation, so much so that the term was coined inflammaging. For this reason also i young people with abdominal obesity they are more exposed to all the risks associated with this type of fat “.
Covid, the study: even young people suffering from abdominal obesity are fragile patients –
The study published in Obesity it shows that when these individuals receive the Covid vaccine the organism has an ability to develop antibodies slightly lower in both quantity and lifespan of the antibodies themselves. “This further supports the recent recommendations of several national and international scientific societies such as the Italian Obesity Society (SIO), the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO) and the Obesity Society (American Obesity Society), to offer booster vaccines or booster doses to all adults, especially those with high-risk medical conditions includingobesity and in particular to those with phenotype of abdominal obesity. The results obtained from the study add data that could help the medical-scientific community that organizes the vaccination campaign to give these people a priority, regardless of age: if a 30 year old boy is suffering from abdominal obesity should fall into the category of fragile patients “, emphasizes Dr. Malavazos.
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