Journal of Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology

Despite the fact that COVID-19 primarily infects the respiratory track, COVID-19 deaths are primarily clustered around cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and obesity. These disorders’ common denominators are high VLDL cholesterol, triglycerides, visceral adipose tissue and its inherent toxicity and inflammation. CVD, diabetes and obesity are also associated with abnormalities in Free T3, leptin, ghrelin and cortisol. Obese individuals manifest respiratory problems that render them susceptible to respiratory disease. Toxicity is enhanced by inactivity, while moderate exercise promotes cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), safeguarding against most chronic diseases. However, excessive exercise results in an inverse cortisol testosterone relationship leading to hormonal imbalance. Staying home during COVID-19 reinforces stress eating behaviours and weight gain. In search of solutions to proactively protect public health, we conducted a randomized double-blind clinical trial on healthy overweight adults, before implementing it on COVID-19 patients. The innovative methodology used resulted in a decrease of visceral adipose tissue, VLDL and triglycerides, and an inverse relationship between both testosterone/cortisol and leptin/ghrelin. Testosterone and leptin climbed to the peak of the normal range, juxtaposed by cortisol and ghrelin that decreased but without dipping into abnormality. Increased skeletal muscle mass was accompanied by IGF-1 and Free T3 increases that peaked within the normal range.