Fig. 1. Potential mechanisms linking obesity to the vulnerability and severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). *Possibly related to the closing of public and private facilities such as community health centers, gyms, swimming pools, parks, and schools on the basis of quarantine strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic; †Possibly related to the quarantine policies and financial effects during the COVID-19 pandemic. Socioeconomic factors: ↓physical activity,
40 ↓opportunities for exercise,
41 ↑unhealthy food consumption.
11 Systemic factors: ↑inflammatory cytokine production,
42-
44 compromised immune system,
45 ↑insulin resistance,
46 impaired glucose regulation,
46 ↓cardiac function,
47 ↓tissue perfusion,
48 activation of renin–angiotensin system.
49,
50 Biomechanical factors: ↓lung compliance,
51 ↓functional residual capacity,
51 ↑airway hyperresponsiveness,
52 ↑small airway collapse,
52 ↑esophageal and gastric pressure,
53 ↑obstructive sleep apnea,
54 ↑hypoxemia.
54 CVD, cardiovascular disease; HT, hypertension; NAFLD, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; DM, diabetes mellitus; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
