University of Cambridge, University of Liverpool, KU Leuven

3

CCU096

Obesity has been declared a worldwide epidemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the number of people living with this condition continues to rise worldwide. It is a complex, chronic, and progressive condition, which substantially affects health, quality of life, and life expectancy. No study has fully examined the overall burden of obesity and how this has changed over the COVID-19 pandemic and in its aftermath, its associations with heart, kidney, and metabolic (i.e. diabetes) health, or how new treatments for obesity are being used in the population of England. This project will address these evidence gaps. The aims of this study are to provide a comprehensive understanding of the patterns and impact of obesity in the population of England before, during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The specific objectives are: i. To determine the annual incidence and overall prevalence of obesity (identified by both medical diagnoses and records of body-mass index [30 kg/m² or higher for individuals of white ethnicity or 27.5 kg/m2 or higher for individuals of Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean ethnicity, according to current NHS guidelines] calculated from patients’ height and weight measurements during general practitioner appointments, within the entire population of England before, during, and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic; ii. To evaluate the impact of obesity on hospitalisation rates, and key cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic outcomes, in particular heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes (including in people with and without a history of COVID-19 diagnosis); iii. To analyse how widely new therapies for the treatment of obesity (i.e. glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro) have been used alongside existing interventions like bariatric surgery (i.e. weight loss surgery to alter the stomach or intestines of obese individuals so that they each less and absorb fewer calories) across the whole population of England before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This research will address the challenge of understanding the scope and consequences of obesity, providing critical insights to inform healthcare strategies and to make best use of the available treatment interventions.

The potential impact of this work includes a deeper understanding of the scale of obesity in England, its occurrence in different sociodemographic groups - particularly by socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and geographic region - and its interaction with COVID-19. This research which will help to tailor interventions for obesity more effectively. By assessing how individuals with obesity interact with the healthcare system and identifying their risk for heart and kidney outcomes, the findings can support the development of targeted management strategies. This, in turn, will enable more efficient health resource planning and improve prevention efforts. Furthermore, by examining how novel medications for obesity are being implemented, this research will offer insights on whether these medications are being equitably distributed across various patient populations. These findings will inform public health policies to address obesity more effectively. Visit the BHF Data Science Centre website for more detailed information about project outputs. https://bhfdatasciencecentre.org/projects/ccu096/

This project accessed the following datasets within the Trusted Research Environment(s) for CVD-COVID-UK / COVID-IMPACT: - ENGLAND: - Civil Registration - Deaths - COVID-19 SARI-Watch (formerly CHESS) - Covid-19 Second Generation Surveillance System - Covid-19 UK Non-hospital Antibody Testing Results - Covid-19 UK Non-hospital Antigen Testing Results - COVID-19 Vaccination Adverse Reaction - COVID-19 Vaccination Status - Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS) - GPES Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (COVID-19) - Hospital Episode Statistics Accident and Emergency - Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care - Hospital Episode Statistics Critical Care - Hospital Episode Statistics Outpatients - Medicines dispensed in Primary Care (NHSBSA data) - Secondary Uses Services Payment By Results - Uncurated Low Latency Hospital Data (Admitted Patient Care, Outpatients, Critical Care)

03/02/2024

02/09/2025

21/12/2024

De-Personalised

21/12/2024

TRE