Endocrine Abstracts

Aim

Lockdown order during COVID-19 pandemic caused a sedentary life-style and disruptions in eating and sleeps patterns of obese patients. In this study, it is planned to evaluate the clinical and metabolic effects of this period on obese patients.

Methods

This study included 44 obese patients who were followed up in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases Clinic of Karadeniz Technical University. In this study, metabolic parameters (fasting plasma glucose, insulin, homa-IR, lipid profile) and obesity-related problems during the lockdown (weight gain, dietary habits, exercise situations) experienced by obese patients, who were followed up in our clinic, were compared between the 6 months period before the March 11, 2020 the date of the first case of COVID-19 seen in Turkey and the period patients started to apply for the first time after the pandemic started to slow down. During the outpatient clinic applications of the patients; whether the patients followed up their weight, physical activity status, any change in their dietary habits, whether they needed to apply to the hospital and had any infection during the lockdown order was questioned and blood samples were taken for biochemical analysis.

Findings

72.7% of the study group was women. Average age of subjects was 39.89 ± 13.92 years. Subjects’ average body mass index (BMI) was 36 kg/m² and 27.3% (n = 12) of the subjects were morbidly obese. Dietary compliance before and during COVID-19 pandemic was found as 27.3% and 13.6%, respectively (P: 0.109). The ratio of exercise at home was 29.5% before the COVID-19 pandemic and increased to 31.8% during the pandemic (P: 0.999). 68.2% of the participants stated that they tracked their weight and 52.3% stated they had an increased appetite. The behavior of not tracking the weight during the pandemic was more common in morbidly obese participants (P = 0.027). An increase was observed in weight (P<0.001) and BMI (P<0.001) measurements of participants during the lockdown order. During the pandemic; diet (P: 0.609) and exercise (P: 0.633) were not found associated with weight increase. After the lockdown order; a significant increase was found in glucose (P: 0.001), insulin (P< 0.001), homa-IR (P<0.001) and cholesterol (P<0.001) values of the participants.

Conclusion

This study shows lockdown order during COVID-19 pandemic caused weight increase and related disruptions in insulin resistance and lipid parameters regardless of dietary and exercise habits in obese patients who have not had COVID-19 infection.