Heavy People May Beat Critical Illness More Often

May 11, 2006

Folks,

Relevant to the discussion of the mouse study of viral immunity -- a

study of hospitalized humans concludes that heavier people have a

better chance of recovery from critical illness.

Diane

-------------------

New York Times

Obesity is not generally associated with any good medical outcomes,

but a recent study suggests that some people who are very overweight

may be more likely to survive a critical illness than people who are

in better shape.

Writing in Critical Care Medicine, the researchers report what

happened when they looked at the body mass indexes of more than 1,000

intensive care unit patients and then looked at how well the patients

ended up doing.

" Lower B.M.I.'s were associated with higher odds of death, whereas

overweight and obese B.M.I.'s were associated with lower odds, " the

researchers wrote.

The study was led by Dr. M. O'Brien Jr. of the Ohio State

University Medical Center.

In all, the study looked at 1,488 patients being treated for acute

lung ailments at 84 hospitals over a period of almost six years. All

the patients were on ventilators.

Why being overweight is associated with higher survival rates is

unclear. Obese patients were more likely to get medication to reduce

the risk of blood clots, and that could have played a role in helping

them get better, the researchers said.

And while the thinnest patients were most likely to die, the study

found, their low weight might have been a sign not of health but of

disease, the researchers said.

Next Article in Health (11 of 15) »

Need to know more? 50% off home delivery of The Times.

Recommended Posts