Obesity Research & Clinical Practice (2010) 4, e245
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Obesity and swine flu: An observation Obesity is an important underlying factor of many diseases. The correlation between obesity and influenza virus infection is not well characterized. The clinical relationship of obesity and the emerging pandemic of swine flu is of great interest since the report that most deaths associated with swine flu at the University of Michigan were in obese patients [1]. According to the official report of the Thai Ministry of Public Health, 65 deaths from about 8000 cases of swine flu have been seen in Thailand. A weight breakdown of all 65 individuals can be presented as 56 with BMI between 23 and 30 and 9 with BMI above 40 (normal average BMI for the Thai = 18.5—23). Of interest, there are specific 9 cases (13.8%) with malignant obesity. These 9 subjects have body weight more than 100 kg (range 100—150 kg). All cases died from respiratory failure within 1 week after admission. These data confirm the notification of the US CDC that ‘‘clinicians should be aware of the potential for severe complications of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection,
particularly in extremely obese patients [1].’’ In conclusion, obesity is an important personal underlying condition among death cases of swine flu.
Conflict of interest No.
Reference [1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Intensivecare patients with severe novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection—–Michigan, June 2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2009;58(July (27)):749—52.
Viroj Wiwanitkit ∗ Wiwanitkit House, Bangkhae, Bangkok 10160, Thailand ∗ Tel.: +66 24132436. E-mail address: [email protected]
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
1871-403X/$ — see front matter © 2009 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.orcp.2009.11.004
29 October 2009
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Obesity and swine flu: An observation Obesity is an important underlying factor of many diseases. The correlation between obesity and influenza virus infection is not well characterized. The clinical relationship of obesity and the emerging pandemic of swine flu is of great interest since the report that most deaths associated with swine flu at the University of Michigan were in obese patients [1]. According to the official report of the Thai Ministry of Public Health, 65 deaths from about 8000 cases of swine flu have been seen in Thailand. A weight breakdown of all 65 individuals can be presented as 56 with BMI between 23 and 30 and 9 with BMI above 40 (normal average BMI for the Thai = 18.5—23). Of interest, there are specific 9 cases (13.8%) with malignant obesity. These 9 subjects have body weight more than 100 kg (range 100—150 kg). All cases died from respiratory failure within 1 week after admission. These data confirm the notification of the US CDC that ‘‘clinicians should be aware of the potential for severe complications of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection,
particularly in extremely obese patients [1].’’ In conclusion, obesity is an important personal underlying condition among death cases of swine flu.
Conflict of interest No.
Reference [1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Intensivecare patients with severe novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection—–Michigan, June 2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2009;58(July (27)):749—52.
Viroj Wiwanitkit ∗ Wiwanitkit House, Bangkhae, Bangkok 10160, Thailand ∗ Tel.: +66 24132436. E-mail address: [email protected]
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com
1871-403X/$ — see front matter © 2009 Asian Oceanian Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.orcp.2009.11.004
29 October 2009
