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Obesity-Linked Coronavirus Death Rates Impacts Men And Women Differently, Study Says

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) -- New research is showing that coronavirus has proven to be deadlier among overweight men than men.

"The way that men deposit fat and the type of fat that they deposit and the way it deposits in their body is different than women at these high BMI categories," said Sara Tartof, Kaiser Permanente infectious disease epidemiologist.

Tartof said researchers examined health records of nearly 7,000 coronavirus patients treated at a Southern California health care system who tested positive between February and May, including people from varying backgrounds and those with underlying health conditions.

The report found that obese men 60 years and under are at least three times more likely to die from the virus.

According to the study, women had no increased risk of coronavirus-related death associated with obesity.

"It's really a phenomenon that's not totally uniform over the whole population. 140 in the younger ages, very high BMI is an incredibly important risk factor," Tartof said.

Despite the disparities in coronavirus infection rates and deaths in minority communities, Tartof said the research team uncovered that there wasn't an independent risk of race or ethnicity.

Doctors and infectious disease experts like Tartof say the study is yet another reminder for people about the importance of eating right, exercising, and living a healthy lifestyle, especially during this health crisis.

The research, "Obesity and Mortality Among Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19: Results From an Integrated Health Care Organization," was published on August 12 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

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