Obesity seems to be a major factor in H1N1 influenza mortality
“They described the cases of 10 patients at a Michigan hospital who were so ill they had to be put on ventilators. Three died. Nine of the 10 were obese, seven were severely obese, including two of the three who died.”
I find this absolutely amazing. The H1N1 influenza virus seems to kill people in the 20 to 40 year old demographic. Scientists postulate that this is because this demographic has the most active immune system. H1N1 induces a cytokine storm which hyperactivates the immune system causing massive damage to the lungs and other organs. In obese people the immune system would probably be suppressed, making a cytokine storm harder to happen.
Categories: H1N1 Tags: cytokine storm, influenza, obesity
