Quarantine during COVID-19 outbreak: Changes in diet and physical activity increase the risk of cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Aims: CoV-19/SARS-CoV-2 is a highly pathogenic virus that is causing a global pandemic with a high number of deaths and infected people. To contain the diffusion of infection, several governments have enforced restrictions on outdoor activities or even collective quarantine on the population. The present commentary briefly analyzes the effects of quarantine on lifestyle, including nutrition and physical activity and the impact of new technologies in dealing with this situation. Data synthesis: Quarantine is associated with stress and depression leading to unhealthy diet and reduced physical activity. A diet poor in fruit and vegetables is frequent during isolation, with a consequent low intake of antioxidants and vitamins. However, vitamins have recently been identified as a principal weapon in the fight against the Cov-19 virus. Some reports suggest that Vitamin D could exert a protective effect on such infection. During quarantine, strategies to further increase home-based physical activity and to encourage adherence to a healthy diet should be implemented. The WHO has just released guidance for people in self-quarantine, those without any symptoms or diagnosis of acute respiratory illness, which provides practical advice on how to stay active and reduce sedentary behavior while at home. Conclusion: Quarantine carries some long-term effects on cardiovascular disease, mainly related to unhealthy lifestyle and anxiety. Following quarantine, a global action supporting healthy diet and physical activity is mandatory to encourage people to return to a good lifestyle routine.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes During COVID-19 Lockdown in the United Arab Emirates: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study

“…In fact, in this study more half of the participants reported anger and heightened levels of stress during the lockdown. For many people, the response to stress, distress, and emotional disturbance is not to avoid food but possibly to increase the consumption of energy-dense foods (18). It has been proposed that this emotionally-induced eating comes as a result of interference of eating by emotions, a by-product of emotions, and a consequence of regulatory processes (i.e., emotions may regulate eating, and eating may regulate emotions) (19).…”

“…In addition to gender and living conditions, weight status was shown to affect the odds of adopting unhealthy behaviors, whereby in this study, having a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 were more likely to report higher dietary intake, increase in weight, lower physical activity and increased smoking. It has been suggested that during quarantine, patients suffering from obesity may experience higher levels of stress which in turn makes them more vulnerable to over-eating and sedentary lifestyle, thus predisposing them to further weight gain (18). These ndings suggest that obese subjects must be carefully informed about the risk of an unhealthy lifestyle during the quarantine due to the increasing risk of disease associated with obesity.…”

COVID-19, the Food System and the Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities

“…In particular, following the main focus of this paper, such sudden lifestyle changes might have both positive and negative impacts on food consumption. Existing studies are controversial in this sense, since some studies-such as [4]-have found evidence of healthier lifestyles during the lockdown, while others have revealed problems emerging from unsafe lifestyles during quarantine [6]. The pandemic has also abruptly changed food consumption habits in the short term, and it remains to be seen whether these changes will persist over time.…”

Pathophysiology of Cardiovascular Complications in COVID-19

“…In the aim of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of countries have at some point implemented the total or partial quarantine of the population. Many mental health specialists have alerted already that the “lock down” phenomenon led to the raise of the number of patients with anxiety and higher stress levels, but also caused the changes in the lifestyle especially concerning the eating habits and lower physical activity ( Mattioli et al, 2020 ). The chronic stress, perhaps arising as a consequence of the quarantine and social isolation or on the other hand, fear of political and financial aftermath, could lead to increase of the activity of the sympathetic nervous system which may cause increased risk of mortality in patients with pre-existing CVD ( Steptoe and Kivimäki, 2012 ; Mattioli et al, 2020 ).…”

“…Many mental health specialists have alerted already that the “lock down” phenomenon led to the raise of the number of patients with anxiety and higher stress levels, but also caused the changes in the lifestyle especially concerning the eating habits and lower physical activity ( Mattioli et al, 2020 ). The chronic stress, perhaps arising as a consequence of the quarantine and social isolation or on the other hand, fear of political and financial aftermath, could lead to increase of the activity of the sympathetic nervous system which may cause increased risk of mortality in patients with pre-existing CVD ( Steptoe and Kivimäki, 2012 ; Mattioli et al, 2020 ). In a study that was following a cohort of 1267 patients older than 65 years in a period of 10 years, it was shown that the social isolation was highly connected with the increased risk of mortality in these patients ( Yu et al, 2020 ).…”