by Susan Abram, Los Angeles Daily News
Flu affecting mostly young, obese adults this year
A large percentage of American adults hospitalized with influenza so far this year were obese, a pattern seen in 2009, but is unusual when compared to other flu seasons, federal health officials said.
As of Jan. 25, at least 43 percent of all those hospitalized with influenza across the nation were considered obese, which is defined as having a body mass index of 30 or higher.
At one point in January, the percentage of those hospitalized who were obese had hit 46 percent, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health researchers saw a similar trend during the H1N1 pandemic of 2009, in which an estimated 203,000 people died. This year’s prominent strain also is H1N1. However, the current vaccine, though not perfect, protects against the strain.
But even though the CDC found that obesity was the top underlying medical condition among those who were hospitalized this season, researchers were careful not to call it a definitive risk factor. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease, also underlying medical conditions and also associated with those who are obese, may play a role.
“When we look at our indicators, a lot of what’s going on has been among younger age groups, those 18 to 64,” said Sandra Chaves, medical director of the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network at the CDC. “If we think about it, where is the obesity epidemic? It’s in that younger age group.”
At least 36 percent of all Americans are considered obese or overweight, according to CDC data.
“It’s not clear why obesity has been identified because we don’t see this clearly in normal seasons,” Chaves said. “Why obese people have higher complications and even death is unclear.”
Meanwhile, the flu has appeared to peak including in some counties in California but remains at widespread levels in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, local and state officials said.
Fifteen flu-related deaths have been confirmed from San Bernardino County, while Los Angeles County has reported 26 so far.
The number of those who have died has garnered much attention this year, because many of the deaths and hospitalizations have been among those 18 to 64, or younger than usual. But in fact, the total number of deaths may never be known because influenza-related deaths among those 65 and older go unreported in California and in much of the nation.
