Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42298801›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of rheumatic diseases2026

Association of Body Mass Index with SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Inflammatory Arthritis Patients Receiving Biologic Therapy: Singapore National Biologics Register Findings.

Preeti Dhanasekaran, Siaw Ing Yeo, Yi Xin Ng, Rosa Lim, Stephanie Wong, Stanley Angkodjojo, Andrew Yu Keat Khor, Li Wearn Koh, Manjari Lahiri, Margaret Ma

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of rheumatic diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Preeti DhanasekaranDepartment of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9099-1849
Siaw Ing YeoDepartment of Rheumatology and Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Yi Xin NgYong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Rosa LimDepartment of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Stephanie WongDepartment of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Stanley AngkodjojoDepartment of Medicine, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Andrew Yu Keat KhorDivision of Rheumatology, Changi General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Li Wearn KohDepartment of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore.
Manjari LahiriDepartment of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3482-6017
Margaret MaDepartment of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.

Funding

Chapter of Rheumatologists, Academy of Medicine, Singapore
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo determine the association of body mass index (BMI) with incident COVID-19 infection in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA) using biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and targeted synthetic DMARDs (tsDMARDs) and to describe characteristics of patients with severe COVID-19 infection.

methodsThis prospective inception cohort study included IA patients ≥ 21 years old initiating a bDMARD after July 2016 across five public hospitals in Singapore. Data were collected via questionnaires and electronic medical records. Baseline characteristics were compared between patients who developed COVID-19 and those who did not. The association between BMI and time to incident COVID-19 infection was assessed using Cox proportional hazards regression, adjusting for demographic and clinical factors.

resultsFive hundred sixty-one patients (60.1% female, 69.0% Chinese; median age 49.0 years) were included. Diagnoses included rheumatoid arthritis (39.6%), psoriatic arthritis (26.6%), and spondyloarthritides (33.9%). Most (63.8%) were on tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in 140 (25.0%) patients. Those infected had higher BMI (27.0 vs. 25.0 kg/m

conclusionBeing overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 23 kg/m

Indexed as

Antirheumatic AgentsArthritisArthritis, RheumatoidBiological ProductsBody Mass IndexCOVID-19ObesityAdultFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRegistriesRisk AssessmentAntirheumatic AgentsBiological Productsarthritisbiologic therapybody mass indexCOVID‐19inflammatory arthritisregistrySARS‐CoV‐2

Identifiers

PMID42298801
PMCPMC13269848

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.