Covid Pandemic Increased Fatty Liver

Covidien experienced 19 worldwide pandemic because of quarantine conditions in Turkey as well as in many countries continues.

During the stay at home, some of the vital needs are ordered before going shopping, and video communication is made instead of visiting relatives. Liv Hospital Ulus Gastroenterology Specialist Prof. Dr. Deniz Duman says, "If weight continues to be gained in the pandemic, it may not be possible to avoid the consequences of increased liver fat, deterioration in liver functions, Covid 19 entering the body more easily, causing disease and progressing more severe." Prof. Dr. Deniz Duman explained the relationship between Covid 19 and fatty liver.

Depressed people gained more weight

In the USA and some Western countries, nearly three-quarters of the population over the age of 20 fell into the overweight or obese category. In Turkey, including more frequent in older women, obesity rates have exceeded half of the state's population. During the pandemic period, weight increased due to reasons such as decreased physical activity, boredom, excessive excitement, depression, unhealthy food, more snacks and candies. Participants in a survey study conducted in Italy stated that they gained an average of 1.5 kg. While this weight gain decreased as the education level increased, it was observed that it increased up to 2.07 kg in individuals who described excessive excitement and depression.

Obese people recover harder

Increased adipose tissue due to obesity creates inflammatory damage in the body and prepares the ground for the negative functioning of the immune system. In addition, it is thought that ACE2 receptors, which are thought to allow the SARS-CoV-2 virus to enter the lungs, are found at a much higher rate in adipose tissue than in the lung, so the increased adipose tissue in obese people is thought to provide an easier environment for the virus to settle in the body. On top of all this, the fact that the defense cells named B and T cells have lower capacity in both number and functionality in obese people makes it even more difficult in Covid 19. As with many other infections in obese people, the problem of susceptibility and not being able to heal easily arises for Covid 19 infection. As a result, obesity is an independent risk factor for Covid 19. While new studies are being conducted on this subject, it seems like a natural result that excess weight gained in the pandemic will increase fatty liver. In addition, it has been found that obese patients have a significantly increased risk of severe disease when they catch Covid 19, hospitalization, being unable to be discharged in a short time when they are hospitalized, and even increased death rates.

Losing weight is essential

Obesity and fatty liver are directly related. In fact, the currently proven effective treatment of fatty liver is weight loss. As expected, the course of Covid will be negative in those with liver fat. zamwas demonstrated by a study done at the time. When the liver sections of patients who had a positive Covid 19 PCR test and had lung tomography and those who did not have Covid 19 infection but had lung tomography for another reason were examined, it was shown that liver steatosis was 4.7 times higher in patients with Covid PCR positive. Although it is concluded that those with fatty liver are more frequently infected with Covid 19 infection, it is obvious that further studies are needed. If weight continues to be gained in the pandemic, it may not be possible to avoid the consequences of increased liver fat, deterioration in liver functions, Covid 19 entering the body more easily and making the disease more severe enough to require hospitalization.