Obesity and risk of infection: results from the Danish Blood Donor Study

Kathrine Agergård Kaspersen; Ole Birger Vesterager Pedersen; Mikkel Steen Petersen; Henrik Hjalgrim; Klaus Rostgaard; Bjarne Kuno Møller; Cecilie Juul-Sørensen; Sebastian Kotzé; Khoa Manh Dinh; Lise Tornvig Erikstrup; Erik Sørensen; Lise Wegner Thørner; Kristoffer Sølvsten Burgdorf; Henrik Ullum; Christian Erikstrup

doi:10.1097/EDE.0000000000000301

Obesity and risk of infection: results from the Danish Blood Donor Study

Kathrine Agergård Kaspersen, Ole Birger Vesterager Pedersen, Mikkel Steen Petersen, Henrik Hjalgrim, Klaus Rostgaard, Bjarne Kuno Møller, Cecilie Juul-Sørensen, Sebastian Kotzé, Khoa Manh Dinh, Lise Tornvig Erikstrup, Erik Sørensen, Lise Wegner Thørner, Kristoffer Sølvsten Burgdorf, Henrik Ullum, Christian Erikstrup

Department of Clinical Medicine

46 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is well known that obesity complicates the course of several diseases. However, it is unknown whether obesity affects the risk of infection among healthy individuals.

METHODS: We included 37,808 healthy participants from the Danish Blood Donor Study, who completed a questionnaire on health-related items. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2). Infections among participants were identified by relevant ICD-10 codes in the Danish National Patient Register and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes in the Danish Prescription Register. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis with age as the underlying timescale was used as the statistical model.

RESULTS: During 113,717 person-years of observation, 1,233 participants were treated for infection at a hospital. Similarly, during 58,411 person-years of observation, 15,856 participants filled at least one prescription of antimicrobials. Obesity was associated with risk of hospital-based treatment for infection (women: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1, 1.9; men: HR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.2, 1.9). For specific infections, obesity was associated with increased risk of abscesses (both sexes), infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (men), and respiratory tract infections and cystitis (women). Similarly, obesity was associated with filled prescriptions of antimicrobials overall (women: HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.30; men: HR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.33) and particularly with phenoxymethylpenicillin, macrolides, dicloxacillin and flucloxacillin, and broad-spectrum penicillins.

CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of healthy individuals, obesity was associated with risk of infection. This result warrants further studies of metabolism and the immune response.

Original language	English
Journal	Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
Volume	26
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	580-9
Number of pages	10
ISSN	1044-3983
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000301
Publication status	Published - 4 Jul 2015

Keywords

Abscess
Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Blood Donors
Body Mass Index
Cohort Studies
Cystitis
Denmark
Dicloxacillin
Female
Floxacillin
Humans
Incidence
Infection
Macrolides
Male
Middle Aged
Multivariate Analysis
Obesity
Penicillin V
Penicillins
Proportional Hazards Models
Respiratory Tract Infections
Risk Factors
Sex Factors
Soft Tissue Infections
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1097/EDE.0000000000000301

Cite this

Kaspersen, K. A., Pedersen, O. B. V., Petersen, M. S., Hjalgrim, H., Rostgaard, K., Møller, B. K., Juul-Sørensen, C., Kotzé, S., Dinh, K. M., Erikstrup, L. T., Sørensen, E., Thørner, L. W., Burgdorf, K. S., Ullum, H., & Erikstrup, C. (2015). Obesity and risk of infection: results from the Danish Blood Donor Study. Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), 26(4), 580-9. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000301

Kaspersen, KA, Pedersen, OBV, Petersen, MS, Hjalgrim, H, Rostgaard, K, Møller, BK, Juul-Sørensen, C, Kotzé, S, Dinh, KM, Erikstrup, LT, Sørensen, E, Thørner, LW, Burgdorf, KS, Ullum, H & Erikstrup, C 2015, 'Obesity and risk of infection: results from the Danish Blood Donor Study', Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.), vol. 26, no. 4, pp. 580-9. https://doi.org/10.1097/EDE.0000000000000301

@article{d8306b1e15464458ae747cbf1f83e217,

title = "Obesity and risk of infection: results from the Danish Blood Donor Study",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: It is well known that obesity complicates the course of several diseases. However, it is unknown whether obesity affects the risk of infection among healthy individuals.METHODS: We included 37,808 healthy participants from the Danish Blood Donor Study, who completed a questionnaire on health-related items. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2). Infections among participants were identified by relevant ICD-10 codes in the Danish National Patient Register and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes in the Danish Prescription Register. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis with age as the underlying timescale was used as the statistical model.RESULTS: During 113,717 person-years of observation, 1,233 participants were treated for infection at a hospital. Similarly, during 58,411 person-years of observation, 15,856 participants filled at least one prescription of antimicrobials. Obesity was associated with risk of hospital-based treatment for infection (women: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1, 1.9; men: HR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.2, 1.9). For specific infections, obesity was associated with increased risk of abscesses (both sexes), infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (men), and respiratory tract infections and cystitis (women). Similarly, obesity was associated with filled prescriptions of antimicrobials overall (women: HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.30; men: HR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.33) and particularly with phenoxymethylpenicillin, macrolides, dicloxacillin and flucloxacillin, and broad-spectrum penicillins.CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of healthy individuals, obesity was associated with risk of infection. This result warrants further studies of metabolism and the immune response.",

keywords = "Abscess, Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Anti-Bacterial Agents, Anti-Infective Agents, Blood Donors, Body Mass Index, Cohort Studies, Cystitis, Denmark, Dicloxacillin, Female, Floxacillin, Humans, Incidence, Infection, Macrolides, Male, Middle Aged, Multivariate Analysis, Obesity, Penicillin V, Penicillins, Proportional Hazards Models, Respiratory Tract Infections, Risk Factors, Sex Factors, Soft Tissue Infections, Surveys and Questionnaires, Young Adult, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't",

author = "Kaspersen, {Kathrine Agerg{\aa}rd} and Pedersen, {Ole Birger Vesterager} and Petersen, {Mikkel Steen} and Henrik Hjalgrim and Klaus Rostgaard and M{\o}ller, {Bjarne Kuno} and Cecilie Juul-S{\o}rensen and Sebastian Kotz{\'e} and Dinh, {Khoa Manh} and Erikstrup, {Lise Tornvig} and Erik S{\o}rensen and Th{\o}rner, {Lise Wegner} and Burgdorf, {Kristoffer S{\o}lvsten} and Henrik Ullum and Christian Erikstrup",

year = "2015",

month = jul,

day = "4",

doi = "10.1097/EDE.0000000000000301",

language = "English",

volume = "26",

pages = "580--9",

journal = "Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)",

issn = "1044-3983",

publisher = "Lippincott Williams & Wilkins",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Obesity and risk of infection

T2 - results from the Danish Blood Donor Study

AU - Kaspersen, Kathrine Agergård

AU - Pedersen, Ole Birger Vesterager

AU - Petersen, Mikkel Steen

AU - Hjalgrim, Henrik

AU - Rostgaard, Klaus

AU - Møller, Bjarne Kuno

AU - Juul-Sørensen, Cecilie

AU - Kotzé, Sebastian

AU - Dinh, Khoa Manh

AU - Erikstrup, Lise Tornvig

AU - Sørensen, Erik

AU - Thørner, Lise Wegner

AU - Burgdorf, Kristoffer Sølvsten

AU - Ullum, Henrik

AU - Erikstrup, Christian

PY - 2015/7/4

Y1 - 2015/7/4

N2 - BACKGROUND: It is well known that obesity complicates the course of several diseases. However, it is unknown whether obesity affects the risk of infection among healthy individuals.METHODS: We included 37,808 healthy participants from the Danish Blood Donor Study, who completed a questionnaire on health-related items. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2). Infections among participants were identified by relevant ICD-10 codes in the Danish National Patient Register and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes in the Danish Prescription Register. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis with age as the underlying timescale was used as the statistical model.RESULTS: During 113,717 person-years of observation, 1,233 participants were treated for infection at a hospital. Similarly, during 58,411 person-years of observation, 15,856 participants filled at least one prescription of antimicrobials. Obesity was associated with risk of hospital-based treatment for infection (women: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1, 1.9; men: HR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.2, 1.9). For specific infections, obesity was associated with increased risk of abscesses (both sexes), infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (men), and respiratory tract infections and cystitis (women). Similarly, obesity was associated with filled prescriptions of antimicrobials overall (women: HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.30; men: HR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.33) and particularly with phenoxymethylpenicillin, macrolides, dicloxacillin and flucloxacillin, and broad-spectrum penicillins.CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of healthy individuals, obesity was associated with risk of infection. This result warrants further studies of metabolism and the immune response.

AB - BACKGROUND: It is well known that obesity complicates the course of several diseases. However, it is unknown whether obesity affects the risk of infection among healthy individuals.METHODS: We included 37,808 healthy participants from the Danish Blood Donor Study, who completed a questionnaire on health-related items. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2). Infections among participants were identified by relevant ICD-10 codes in the Danish National Patient Register and Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) codes in the Danish Prescription Register. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards analysis with age as the underlying timescale was used as the statistical model.RESULTS: During 113,717 person-years of observation, 1,233 participants were treated for infection at a hospital. Similarly, during 58,411 person-years of observation, 15,856 participants filled at least one prescription of antimicrobials. Obesity was associated with risk of hospital-based treatment for infection (women: hazard ratio [HR] = 1.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1, 1.9; men: HR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.2, 1.9). For specific infections, obesity was associated with increased risk of abscesses (both sexes), infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue (men), and respiratory tract infections and cystitis (women). Similarly, obesity was associated with filled prescriptions of antimicrobials overall (women: HR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.14, 1.30; men: HR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.33) and particularly with phenoxymethylpenicillin, macrolides, dicloxacillin and flucloxacillin, and broad-spectrum penicillins.CONCLUSIONS: In a large cohort of healthy individuals, obesity was associated with risk of infection. This result warrants further studies of metabolism and the immune response.

KW - Abscess

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Anti-Bacterial Agents

KW - Anti-Infective Agents

KW - Blood Donors

KW - Body Mass Index

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Cystitis

KW - Denmark

KW - Dicloxacillin

KW - Female

KW - Floxacillin

KW - Humans

KW - Incidence

KW - Infection

KW - Macrolides

KW - Male

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Multivariate Analysis

KW - Obesity

KW - Penicillin V

KW - Penicillins

KW - Proportional Hazards Models

KW - Respiratory Tract Infections

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Sex Factors

KW - Soft Tissue Infections

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires

KW - Young Adult

KW - Journal Article

KW - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

U2 - 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000301

DO - 10.1097/EDE.0000000000000301

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 25978794

SN - 1044-3983

VL - 26

SP - 580

EP - 589

JO - Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)

JF - Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)

IS - 4

ER -

Obesity and risk of infection: results from the Danish Blood Donor Study

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this