Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Anthropometric Variables, Blood Pressure, and Glucose and Lipid Profile in Healthy Adults: A before and after Pandemic Lockdown Longitudinal Study

• Published in: Nutrients 2022-03, Vol.14 (6), p.1237
• Main Authors: Ramírez Manent, José Ignacio, Altisench Jané, Bárbara, Sanchís Cortés, Pilar, Busquets-Cortés, Carla, Arroyo Bote, Sebastiana, Masmiquel Comas, Luis, López González, Ángel Arturo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abdomen; Adult; Anthropometry; Blood Pressure; Body fat; Body measurements; Body weight; Cardiovascular diseases; cardiovascular risk factors; Cholesterol; Communicable Disease Control; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; disease; Disease prevention; Female; Glucose; Health care; Health risks; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Lipids; lockdown; Longitudinal Studies; Low density lipoprotein; Male; Measurement techniques; Occupational health; Pandemics; Population; Prospective Studies; Public health; Questionnaires; Risk analysis; Risk factors; SARS-CoV-2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Shelter in place; Statistical analysis; Triglycerides; Viruses; Workers
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu14061237

In December 2019, 27 cases of pneumonia were reported in Wuhan. In 2020, the causative agent was identified as a virus called SARS-CoV-2. The disease was called "coronavirus disease 2019" (COVID-19) and was determined as a Public Health Emergency. The main measures taken to cope with this included a state of lockdown. The aim of this study was to assess how the unhealthy lifestyles that ensued influenced different parameters. A prospective study was carried out on 6236 workers in a Spanish population between March 2019 and March 2021. Anthropometric, clinical, and analytical measurements were performed, revealing differences in the mean values of anthropometric and clinical parameters before and after lockdown due to the pandemic, namely increased body weight (41.1 ± 9.9-43.1 ± 9.9), BMI (25.1 ± 4.7-25.9 ± 4.7), and percentage of body fat (24.5 ± 9.1-26.9 ± 8.8); higher total cholesterol levels, with a statistically significant increase in LDL levels and a reduction in HDL; and worse glucose levels (90.5 ± 16.4-95.4 ± 15.8). Lockdown can be concluded to have had a negative effect on health parameters in both sexes in all age ranges, causing a worsening of cardiovascular risk factors.