Obesity is a major risk factor for severe forms of Covid-19 and weakens the immune system. Conversely, vaccination protects across all “weight classes”. This is the result of a study with the data of nine million people in Great Britain. Another scientific study showed that temporarily stopping an immunodepressant drug therapy for rheumatism improves the effect of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
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In immunocompromising rheumatism therapy, a break after the vaccination may be advisable
“One in five people worldwide is at particular risk of a severe course of SARS-CoV-2 infection due to additional health burdens. There is consistent evidence that obesity is a significant independent risk factor,” wrote Carmen Piernas and her co- Authors in “Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology” (https://doi.org/10.1016/ S2213-8587(22)00158-9). In addition, there appears to be a correlation between obesity and a weaker response to vaccination.
Evaluated data from over 9 million people
For the scientific study, the experts therefore evaluated the data of 9,171,524 people who were registered in England at family doctor practices within the framework of the national health system (NHS). The observation period ran from December 8, 2020, when the first vaccinations against Covid-19 took place in England, and November 17, 2021. The information was analyzed according to several “weight classes”: a BMI (Body Mass Index) of less than 18, 5 (underweight), BMI 18.5 to 24.9 (normal weight), overweight: BMI 25 to 30 and obese (BMI above 30). The mean age was 52 years, the mean BMI value 26.7. This also means that in England people are overweight on average.
As the experts documented, all people who had been vaccinated at least twice against Covid-19 had a high protection factor against hospital admissions as a result of Covid-19: this risk reduced by 49 percent in underweight people two weeks after immunization and by 66 percent in people of normal weight , among the overweight by 68 percent. The vaccination effect among the obese was just as high as among the overweight. The protection rate against death from Covid-19 was 40 percent for the underweight, 61 percent for the normal weight, 70 percent for the overweight and 74 percent for the obese. Part of the lower protection factor among the underweight may be due to lower vaccination coverage in this group. There should be more effort in promoting vaccination there, the scientists wrote.
Methotrexate reduces the effectiveness of the vaccine
British scientists recently published an important finding in “Lancet Respiratory Medicine” (DOI: 10.1016/S2213-2600(22)00186-2; June 27). Many people suffer from chronic inflammatory diseases and receive – for example in the case of rheumatoid arthritis (“joint rheumatism”), psoriasis etc. – immune-weakening drugs. Low doses of the cytostatic methotrexate, which was previously used primarily in oncology, are used most frequently here. For example, it is one of the most important effective drugs in the treatment of chronic polyarthritis. But under immunosuppressive therapy, people respond less well to vaccinations.
British scientists have now tested a possible way out of the Covid 19 vaccination. From autumn last year, they admitted 254 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (about half), psoriasis (34 percent) and other chronic inflammatory diseases. All were treated with methotrexate. After the third partial vaccination against Covid-19, methotrexate therapy was then suspended for two weeks in 50 percent of these people.
Then, from the University of Nottingham, Abhishek Abhishek and his team of authors measured the antibody response in the two groups of subjects. It turned out that the patients with a methotrexate break developed a slightly more than twice as high antibody response to the third Covid 19 partial vaccination as those who continued to be treated with the cytostatic. On the other hand, up to three months after the MTX therapy interruption, the chronic inflammatory disease flared up again in just over 70 percent of the subjects. However, these flare-ups were mild and could be managed well. However, such a procedure must always be discussed and discussed with the doctor treating you.
(APA/red, Photo: APA/APA/dpa/Moritz Frankenberg)