Division News

Dixon Interviewed by HealthyWomen about Association Between Obesity and Severe COVID-19

July 12, 2023 by Lucy Gardner Carson

(JULY 12, 2023) Lung specialist Anne Dixon, M.A., B.M.B.Ch., professor of medicine, spoke with healthywomen.org about a demonstrated association between obesity and a higher risk of severe COVID-19.

Anne Dixon, M.A., B.M.B.Ch., in her lab

(JULY 12, 2023) Lung specialist Anne Dixon, M.A., B.M.B.Ch., professor of medicine and professor and division director of pulmonary disease and critical care medicine, spoke with healthywomen.org about a demonstrated association between obesity and a higher risk of severe COVID-19 cases that require hospitalization, ICU admission, and the use of a ventilator. People living with obesity also have a higher risk of COVID-related death, she said.

“Even here in Vermont, which is a relatively lean state compared to many others, we saw people with obesity coming in and dying in our ICU,” said Dixon, who researches the effect of obesity on lung health. “We analyzed our data and found that people admitted to our ICU were much more likely to [have obesity] than people who got admitted just to the regular medical floor.”

Read full story at healthywomen