Author Identifier
Débora Barbosa Ronca: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9161-6403
Manshu Song: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1433-7192
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
PLoS ONE
Volume
20
Issue
5
PubMed ID
40333633
Publisher
PLOS
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Funders
Research Support Program at the Superior School of Health Sciences, Brazil, funded by the Health Sciences Teaching and Research Foundation (5/2020 – FEPECS/DE) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (001) / Western Australian Future Health Research and Innovation Fund (WANMA/Ideas2023-24/10) / National Council for Scientific and Technological Development CNPq (302740/2022-8)
Abstract
Background/purpose Excess weight has been identified as a potential risk factor for post-COVID-19 condition (PCC). This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate whether excess weight is associated with the development or experience of neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms in PCC. Methods We conducted a comprehensive search of eight databases (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, VHL, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and medRxiv) for studies published up to July 2023. Studies were included if they assessed PCC symptoms in relation to nutritional status, specifically the development of neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms more than 12 weeks post-infection. The analysis compared exposure and controls groups (excess weight vs. normal weight; obesity vs. non-obesity). Data were synthesized using a random-effects model. Results Of the 10,122 abstracts screened, 18 studies (n=139,091 adults) were included. These studies included 79,050 individuals with excess weight vs 57,926 normal-weight individuals and 30,694 individuals with obesity vs 107,612 non-obese individuals. The presence of excess weight in PCC was significantly associated with persistent depression (RR=1.21; 95% CI: 1.03–1.42), headache (OR=1.23; 95% CI: 1.10–1.37), memory issues (RR=1.43; 95% CI: 1.24–1.65), sleep disturbance (RR=1.31; 95% CI: 1.16–1.48), and vertigo (RR=1.21; 95% CI: 1.04–1.41). Obesity was significantly associated with persistent headache (OR=1.45; 95% CI: 1.37–1.53), numbness (RR=1.61; 95% CI: 1.46–1.78), smell disorder (OR=1.16; 95% CI: 1.11–1.22), taste disorder (OR=1.22; 95% CI: 1.08–1.38), and vertigo (RR=1.44; 95% CI: 1.35–1.53). Conclusions Excess weight, including overweight and obesity, is associated with experiencing neuro-symptoms related to PCC. Individuals with these conditions urgently need enhanced personalized care management in current post-pandemic context.
DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0314892
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
Ronca, D. B., Mesquita, L. O., Oliveira, D., Figueiredo, A. C. M. G., Wen, J., Song, M., & de Carvalho, K. M. B. (2025). Excess weight is associated with neurological and neuropsychiatric symptoms in post-COVID-19 condition: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PloS One, 20(5), e0314892. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0314892