Odds of pulmonary embolism up for obese COVID-19 patients

Odds of pulmonary embolism up for obese COVID-19 patients

(HealthDay)—Patients with COVID-19 with a body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m² have increased odds of developing pulmonary embolism (PE), according to a research letter published online May 14 in Radiology.

Neo Poyiadi, M.D., from the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, and colleagues assessed the clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients who developed PE in a retrospective analysis involving 328 COVID-19 patients who underwent pulmonary computed tomography (CT) angiography.

The researchers found that 22 percent of the patients had PE. Patients with a BMI >30 kg/m² were observed more often in the PE versus the non-PE group (58 versus 44 percent). Compared with the non-PE cohort, fewer patients with PE were on prior to admission (27 versus 46 percent). In a multivariate model, patients taking statin therapy prior to admission had significantly reduced odds of developing PE (adjusted odds ratio, 0.4), while those with a BMI >30 kg/m² had an adjusted odds ratio of 2.7. The odds ratio was 4.8 for PE with a 6 µg/mL increase in D-dimer. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.86 for the multivariable model. A D-dimer of 3.11 µg/mL had sensitivity and specificity of 78 and 81 percent, respectively, for development of PE (AUC, 0.85).

"Our study, in with recent and future studies, may prompt early evaluation with pulmonary CT angiography in COVID-19 who are at increased risk for developing based on demographic, clinical, and laboratory variables," the authors write.

More information: Abstract/Full Text

Journal information: Radiology

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Citation: Odds of pulmonary embolism up for obese COVID-19 patients (2020, May 20) retrieved 19 March 2024 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-odds-pulmonary-embolism-obese-covid-.html
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