Leptin, obesity, and Covid-19 -- via the Washington Post

science
(Gabe “No Dogma, Only Science Please!” ) #1

Excerpt:

Another study published in the International Journal of Obesity by Candida Rebello, a pharmacology researcher at Louisiana State University, found that the hormone leptin, which regulates metabolism and appetite and is found in greater amounts in obese people, may make them more vulnerable to covid-19. High levels of leptin have been associated with a type of systemic inflammatory state.

“We propose that leptin may be the link between obesity and its high prevalence as a comorbidity of the SARS-CoV-2 infection,” she wrote.

In addition to metabolic issues, “obesity in itself is a complex issue, because it usually leads to so many comorbidities” and can affect lung mechanics, said Maria Plataki, an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine who studies the impact of obesity on lung cells. A recent study of 1,687 hospitalized adults by a team that included Plataki found that obese patients were more likely to have respiratory failure but not any more likely to die.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-obesity-risks/2020/09/04/0f370980-e22f-11ea-b69b-64f7b0477ed4_story.html

(Ken) #2

The reason obese people have higher levels of leptin is that they are resistant. Leptin resistance and insulin resistance are the two bookends of obesity. We already know insulin resistance is a major comorbidity for Covid, it stands to reason all other conditions created by the same nutritional pattern would be as well.

(Polly) #3

I would question whether obesity leads to co-morbidities, my understanding has been that obesity and other co-morbidities have the same underlying causes. eg People in this country are forever saying that obesity causes type two diabetes, whereas I believe that obesity and type two diabetes are both caused by insulin resistance and the inability to metabolise carbohydrates effectively.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #4

It was Peter Attia’s very moving TED talk that introduced me to this notion, and it immediately made sense.

And we know this has to be correct, because a goodly percentage of obese people are metabolically healthy, and a goodly percentage of thin people are metabolically ill. If obesity were the cause of those chronic diseases, then no thin person would have them.

As far as “leptin resistance” is concerned, I don’t like the term. I prefer “leptin blocking” instead.

In insulin resistance, for example, cells actively down-regulate their insulin receptors in order to be less vulnerable to its effects. Dopamine resistance works the same way…

In “leptin resistance,” the cells in the hypothalamus that fail to receive the leptin signal have not down-regulated their leptin receptors, it is simply that elevated insulin is blocking those receptors. So the fat cells are secreting plenty of leptin, but the insulin is preventing the brain from seeing it. When insulin drops, the brain starts registering the leptin again and shuts off the appetite. So the hypothalamic cells are not actively refusing the leptin signal.

This makes perfect sense, if you are eating berries and fruits in order to fatten up for the winter. In such a situation, you don’t want your brain to shut off your appetite. Once you’ve put on the weight, your insulin can drop and you can go hibernate for the winter and live off your stored fat.

It does make sense, however, that the excessive leptin that the brain can’t receive might make us vulnerable to COVID.

(Ethan) #5

Obesity also means lower vitamin D, which is clearly a treatment for Covid

closed #6