Publicatie in International Journal of Obesity
If people with obesity start to live a healthier life, this will produce positive changes for their often disrupted immune system. This is evident from research by Erasmus MC. Improving lifestyle seems to be a good weapon in the fight against a serious course of virus infections. The researchers published their findings in the scientific journal International Journal of Obesity.
Immune system disturbances
The researchers examined 87 obese people and found numerous disruptions in their immune systems. In people who also had the metabolic syndrome in addition to obesity (a combination of high blood pressure, impaired sugar, excess belly size and unhealthy cholesterol), the immune system was even more disturbed.
In addition, 27 people with obesity and an impaired immune system received an intensive combined lifestyle intervention to achieve a healthier weight. They were followed for 1.5 years and professionally supervised with more exercise, healthy eating, behavioral change, better sleep and less stress. On average, these people lost 5 to 6 percent. “We also saw improvements in the immune system and less chronic inflammation,” said researcher and medical immunologist Wim Dik.
Results are hopeful
The results are hopeful for people who are obese due to an unhealthy lifestyle. ,, In addition to beneficial effects on other disorders, improving your lifestyle also has an effect on your immune system. So it makes a lot of sense to focus more on a healthy lifestyle, ”say doctor-researchers Eline van der Valk and Isabel van der Zalm of the department of internal medicine.
The researchers found, among other things, a link between the decrease in abdominal size and improvement of an important part of the immune system. The research may also offer new opportunities in fighting Covid-19, as long as there is no vaccine yet. About 77 percent of the corona patients admitted to Dutch ICs were overweight or obese. The serious course in these patients explains professor and internist-endocrinologist Liesbeth van Rossum as follows: “The enlarged fat cells in the body become relatively oxygen-deficient and disrupt the hormone balance. This causes dormant chronic inflammatory reactions, so that the immune system is, as it were, continuously on.
When a virus like the current coronavirus comes along, the immune system reacts less effectively. ” Researcher Pieter Leenen of the immunology department: “That gives the virus the opportunity to take a huge lead in the battle with the immune system. The violent inflammatory response that follows sometimes leads to thrombosis, in addition to serious damage to the lungs. “” The corona pandemic and the obesity pandemic are currently a dangerous, sometimes fatal combination.
Corona extra encouragement
For people who are obese without a medical cause (illness or use of certain medicines, ed.), The corona pandemic can be an extra incentive to start eating healthier, exercising more and reducing stress. A healthy lifestyle could also have beneficial effects on the immune system for people with obesity due to a medical cause, but this has not been investigated in this study.
Van Rossum realizes that losing weight through a healthy lifestyle is easier said than done: “Unlike slightly overweight, severe overweight, or obesity, is often not so easy to solve. There is certainly no question of own fault. That is why people should not hesitate to seek professional help. And all this shows all the more that we as a society must do more about prevention. There is great health benefit to be gained. ”The research was conducted by the departments of internal medicine / endocrinology and immunology at Erasmus MC.
Source: Erasmus MC
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