Rethinking the obesity paradox in sepsis: Metabolic pharmacotherapy explains survival benefits of obesity.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Sepsis remains a leading global health burden. While the "obesity paradox" suggests improved outcomes in overweight and obese individuals, the impact of metabolic abnormalities (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia) and their associated pharmacotherapies on sepsis prognosis remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the independent and synergistic effects of overweight status and metabolic abnormalities on sepsis mortality.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study utilized data from 16,288 sepsis patients in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV database (version 3.1). We performed multivariable Cox regression to assess associations between overweight status (Body mass index ≥25 kg/m2), metabolic abnormalities, and mortality outcomes (28-day, 90-day, 1-year). Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to assess causal relationships between these exposures and 28-day mortality. Sensitivty analysis by stratifying pharmacological interventions was carried out to rule out confounding effects.

RESULTS

Overweight status lost its protective association with 28-day mortality after adjusting for metabolic abnormalities (adjusted hazard ratio 0.983, 95 % confidence interval 0.901-1.074, p = 0.708). MR analysis confirmed no causal relationship of overweight status, diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidemia on sepsis-related 28-day mortality. The observed protective effects of metabolic abnormalities were explained by medications used to treat these conditions, including biguanides, sulfonylureas, β-blockers, Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, diuretics, and statins.

CONCLUSIONS

This study challenges the "obesity paradox" in sepsis, demonstrating that the observed protective effects of metabolic abnormalities are predominantly driven by pharmacological interventions. These findings underscore the importance of optimizing pharmacological strategies to enhance sepsis management.