Could Obesity Be Contributing to Swine Flu Deaths?

New data has suggested that obesity, especially extreme obesity (BMI over 40), raises swine flu victims' chance of dying.

The study, published in advance by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at the cases of ten swine flu patients at a Michigan hospital, all of whom had to be placed on ventilators due to the severity of their illness.

The study found that:

• Three of the ten died.
• Two of the ten were obese (a BMI between 30-40).
• Seven of the ten were extremely obese (BMI over 40), accounting for two of the three deaths.

The study adds to data from a survey in California, which found that obesity seemed to be a risk factor for swine flu complications.

The researchers did not set out to discover whether obesity was a factor in the severity of swine flu cases, as Reuters explains:

Their study was not designed to see if obesity or anything else poses a special risk factor for flu. But, the researchers were surprised to see that seven of the 10 patients were extremely obese.

It is not yet known why obesity appears to raise the chance of death or severe complications, it is not considered a risk factor in cases of seasonal flu. One possibility is that due to a larger body mass, obese patients need to be given a higher dose of Tamiflu.

Obesity is however known to cause, contribute to, or complicate, a number of medical conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and various cancers. If you have a BMI over 30, talk to your doctor.

Editor's note: It's worth noting that the study mentioned was very small, and it's certainly possible those who died had other undiagnosed health conditions.