Sat Jul 11, 2009 9:39am EDT By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - People who are obese but otherwise healthy may be at special risk of severe complications and death from the new H1N1 swine flu virus, U.S. researchers reported on Friday.
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.
Originally posted by Sheltieguy: I know, I'm such a downer somethimes - but the facts are the facts.
LOL.
Actually, this is the first time that I've seen weight/swine flu mortality stats.
I recently saw an article that being very thin and a BMI of 18.5 or 19 has a higher risk of death... but it didn't say from what. Just that people with very low BMI's seem to die sooner than people with BMI's of 25 or 26. But maybe, people who are THAT thin, have a lot of unhealthy habits. Like are IV drug users, and smoke, chronic dieters/anorexics, etc.
Denise
Posts: 9221 | Location: Silicon Valley, CA | Registered: March 17, 2004
