Lifestyle risk factors,inflammatory mechanisms,and COVID-19 hospitalization: A community-based cohort study of 387,109 adults in UK

We conducted the first large-scale general population study on lifestyle risk factors (smoking, physical inactivity, obesity, and excessive alcohol intake) for COVID-19 using prospective cohort data with national registry linkage to hospitalisation. Participants were 387,109 men and women (56.4 ± 8.8 yr; 55.1% women) residing in England from UK Biobank study. Physical activity, smoking, and alcohol intake, were assessed by questionnaire at baseline (2006–2010). Body mass index, from measured height and weight, was used as an indicator of overall obesity. Outcome was cases of COVID-19 serious enough to warrant a hospital admission from 16-March-2020 to 26-April-2020. There were 760 COVID-19 cases. After adjustment for age, sex and mutually for each lifestyle factor, physical inactivity (Relative risk, 1.32, 95% confidence interval, 1.10, 1.58), smoking (1.42;1.12, 1.79) and obesity (2.05 ;1.68, 2.49) but not heavy alcohol consumption (1.12; 0.93, 1.35) were all related to COVID-19. We also found a dose-dependent increase in risk of COVID-19 with less favourable lifestyle scores, such that participants in the most adverse category had 4-fold higher risk (4.41; 2.52–7.71) compared to people with the most optimal lifestyle. C-reactive protein levels were associated with elevated risk of COVID-19 in a dose-dependent manner, and partly (10–16%) explained associations between adverse lifestyle and COVID-19. Based on UK risk factor prevalence estimates, unhealthy behaviours in combination accounted for up to 51% of the population attributable fraction of severe COVID-19. Our findings suggest that an unhealthy lifestyle synonymous with an elevated risk of non-communicable disease is also a risk factor for COVID-19 hospital admission, which might be partly explained by low grade inflammation. Adopting simple lifestyle changes could lower the risk of severe infection.     

Association between gravidity and risk of metabolic syndrome: Results of Tabari cohort study

Background and aimsThe purpose of the present study was to investigate the association of gravidity and age at first pregnancy with metabolic syndrome in a large-scale, population-based cohort study in Iran.MethodsThe present secondary analysis was conducted on a subset of the population (5739 women with at least one pregnancy) enrolled in the Tabari cohort study. Reproductive history was collected using a structured questionnaire. The relationship of gravidity and age at first pregnancy with metabolic syndrome and its components was analyzed using the logistic regression model.ResultsThe results showed that after adjustment for confounding variables, the odds of having metabolic syndrome was not significantly associated with age at first pregnancy (P = 0.269) and gravidity (P = 0.504). However, there was an association between hypertension and age at first pregnancy (OR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.12–0.82; P = 0.03). Additionally, waist circumference was also associated with gravidity (OR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.37–3.35).ConclusionAs the findings indicated, age at first pregnancy and gravidity were not associated with the odds of having metabolic syndrome. However, a relationship was found between first pregnancy at the age of >35 years and the decreased risk of hypertension. Gravidity was also found to be a dose-dependent risk factor for increased waist circumference.