tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Clin Infect Dis. 2015 Feb 2. pii: civ060. [Epub ahead of print]
[h=1]Adiposity and influenza associated respiratory mortality: a cohort study.[/h] Zhou Y[SUP]1[/SUP], Cowling BJ[SUP]1[/SUP], Wu P[SUP]1[/SUP], Chan WM[SUP]2[/SUP], Lee SY[SUP]2[/SUP], Lau EH[SUP]1[/SUP], Schooling CM[SUP]3[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] Obesity was first noted as a risk factor for severe illness associated with pandemic H1N1 infection in 2009, but the relation between obesity and seasonal influenza remains unclear.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] We used data from a population-based cohort comprising 66,820 older (65+ years) participants with a follow-up period from 1998 to 2012. The impact of influenza activity on respiratory mortality rates was estimated using a Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for comorbidities, meteorological factors and other co-circulating respiratory viruses. We also tested whether the association of influenza with respiratory mortality varied with obesity and/or health status. As a control outcome we similarly assessed the association of influenza with deaths from external causes, because these deaths should be unrelated to influenza.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] Seasonal influenza activity was associated with higher respiratory mortality (hazard ratio
1.13 for influenza activity in the influenza season compared to non-influenza season; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 1.22). The effect of seasonal influenza was 19% greater in obese individuals than normal weight individuals (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.42). The marginally significant and greater effect modification of obesity status on the association between seasonal influenza and respiratory mortality was also observed among older people in good health (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.87). No such relations were observed for death from external causes.
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS:[/h] Obesity aggravates the effect of seasonal influenza on respiratory mortality. Priority for influenza vaccine should be considered for obese older people to decrease the burden of influenza.
? The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
PMID: 25645211 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
[h=1]Adiposity and influenza associated respiratory mortality: a cohort study.[/h] Zhou Y[SUP]1[/SUP], Cowling BJ[SUP]1[/SUP], Wu P[SUP]1[/SUP], Chan WM[SUP]2[/SUP], Lee SY[SUP]2[/SUP], Lau EH[SUP]1[/SUP], Schooling CM[SUP]3[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]
[h=3]Abstract[/h] [h=4]BACKGROUND:[/h] Obesity was first noted as a risk factor for severe illness associated with pandemic H1N1 infection in 2009, but the relation between obesity and seasonal influenza remains unclear.
[h=4]METHODS:[/h] We used data from a population-based cohort comprising 66,820 older (65+ years) participants with a follow-up period from 1998 to 2012. The impact of influenza activity on respiratory mortality rates was estimated using a Cox proportional hazard model adjusted for comorbidities, meteorological factors and other co-circulating respiratory viruses. We also tested whether the association of influenza with respiratory mortality varied with obesity and/or health status. As a control outcome we similarly assessed the association of influenza with deaths from external causes, because these deaths should be unrelated to influenza.
[h=4]RESULTS:[/h] Seasonal influenza activity was associated with higher respiratory mortality (hazard ratio
1.13 for influenza activity in the influenza season compared to non-influenza season; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.05 to 1.22). The effect of seasonal influenza was 19% greater in obese individuals than normal weight individuals (HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.01 to 1.42). The marginally significant and greater effect modification of obesity status on the association between seasonal influenza and respiratory mortality was also observed among older people in good health (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.87). No such relations were observed for death from external causes.
[h=4]CONCLUSIONS:[/h] Obesity aggravates the effect of seasonal influenza on respiratory mortality. Priority for influenza vaccine should be considered for obese older people to decrease the burden of influenza.
? The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
PMID: 25645211 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]