Dengue May Be Bigger Threat to Obese Children
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, July 25, 2024 -- Obese kids infected with dengue are significantly more likely to suffer severe illness requiring hospitalization, a new study warns.
A new analysis of nearly 5,000 dengue-infected Sri Lankan children found that weight plays a powerful role in how sick the mosquito-borne virus can make a kid.
Kids with higher BMIs had higher hospitalization rates than those children who weighed less, researchers reported recently in the journal PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.
The heaviest children -- those who are clinically obese -- were twice as likely to be hospitalized as the rest, results show.
“With the increase in obesity in many countries, it would be important to create awareness and educate the public of the potential risks regarding obesity and risk of severe disease and hospitalization from dengue,” said senior researcher Dr. Neelika Malavige, a professor of immunology and molecular medicine at the University of Sri Jayewardenepura in Sri Lanka.
The study comes weeks after health officials in the Florida Keys issued a dengue alert following two confirmed cases of the infectious disease there, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a nationwide advisory about an increased risk of dengue infections in the U.S.
Dengue reached a historic high of more than 6.5 million cases and more than 7,300 deaths worldwide in 2023, researchers said in background notes.
And the world is about to break that record again, researchers said. About 10 million cases had already been reported by the end of June.
About nine in 10 cases requiring hospitalization involve children younger than 5, researchers said.
Dengue is often referred to as “break bone fever” because it causes fever accompanied by severe joint, bone and muscle pain, researchers said.
The virus also can cause nausea, vomiting and rash, the CDC says. Symptoms typically begin within two weeks after being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Severe cases can result in “shock and, if untreated, death,” Malavige said in a SciDev.net news release. “Therefore, early detection of complications is crucial.”
There’s no specific medicine to treat dengue, but in the United States there is a dengue vaccine approved for use in children ages 9 to 16 who live in areas where the virus is common, the CDC says.
Researchers couldn’t say exactly why childhood obesity might be linked to more severe dengue.
However, they noted in their report that “obesity is associated with an increase in risk of severe disease due to many other infections such as influenza and COVID-19.”
“The mechanisms by which obesity and diabetes increase disease severity of dengue should be further explored, to develop biomarkers and therapeutics specially targeting at risk populations,” researchers concluded.
Sources
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
Source: HealthDay
Posted : 2024-07-26 03:15
Read more
- Bayer Initiates Phase II Study of Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Activator (BAY3283142) in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease
- Holiday Gifts That Make a Difference After a Loss
- Brain-Computer Combo Lets Mute Man With ALS 'Talk' Again
- How to Prep Yourself for the Post-Holiday Blues
- Stock Up! 8 Products You Should Have on Hand for Flu Season
- Experiencing Climate-Related Events Tied to Negative Impact on Mental Health
Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Drugslib.com is accurate, up-to-date, and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. Drugslib.com information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States and therefore Drugslib.com does not warrant that uses outside of the United States are appropriate, unless specifically indicated otherwise. Drugslib.com's drug information does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients or recommend therapy. Drugslib.com's drug information is an informational resource designed to assist licensed healthcare practitioners in caring for their patients and/or to serve consumers viewing this service as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge and judgment of healthcare practitioners.
The absence of a warning for a given drug or drug combination in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. Drugslib.com does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Drugslib.com provides. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.
Popular Keywords
- metformin obat apa
- alahan panjang
- glimepiride obat apa
- takikardia adalah
- erau ernie
- pradiabetes
- besar88
- atrofi adalah
- kutu anjing
- trakeostomi
- mayzent pi
- enbrel auto injector not working
- enbrel interactions
- lenvima life expectancy
- leqvio pi
- what is lenvima
- lenvima pi
- empagliflozin-linagliptin
- encourage foundation for enbrel
- qulipta drug interactions