Emilsson, ValurGuðmundsson, Elías F.Aspelund, ThorJónsson, Brynjólfur G.Guðjónsson, AlexanderLauner, Lenore J.Lamb, John R.Guðmundsdóttir, ValborgJennings, Lori L.Guðnason, Vilmundur G.2025-11-202025-11-202020-12-16Emilsson, V, Guðmundsson, E F, Aspelund, T, Jónsson, B G, Guðjónsson, A, Launer, L J, Lamb, J R, Guðmundsdóttir, V, Jennings, L L & Guðnason, V G 2020, 'Serum levels of ACE2 are higher in patients with obesity and diabetes', Obesity Science and Practice, vol. 7, no. 2, pp. 239-243. https://doi.org/10.1002/osp4.4722055-2238384458455efa5676-d310-457d-9de6-2163b8acd8488509759525833841894unpaywall: 10.1002/osp4.472https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/6363© 2020 The Authors. Obesity Science & Practice published by World Obesity and The Obesity Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.Objective: As severity of outcome in COVID-19 is disproportionately higher among individuals with obesity, smokers, patients with hypertension, kidney disease, chronic pulmonary disease, coronary heart disease (CHD), and/or type 2 diabetes (T2D), serum levels of ACE2, the cellular entry point for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, were examined in these high-risk groups. Methods: Associations of ACE2 levels to smokers and patients with hypertension, T2D, obesity, CHD, or COPD were investigated in a single center population-based study of 5457 Icelanders from the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility Reykjavík Study (AGES-RS) of the elderly (mean age 75 ± 6 years), using multiple linear regression analysis. Results: Serum levels of ACE2 were higher in smokers and individuals with T2D and/or obesity while they were unaffected in the other patient groups. Conclusion: ACE2 levels are higher in some patient groups with comorbidities linked to COVID-19 including obesity and T2D and as such may have an emerging role as a circulating biomarker for severity of outcome in the disease.5312820239-243eninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessEndocrinology, Diabetes and MetabolismNutrition and DieteticsSDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being/dk/atira/pure/researchoutput/researchoutputtypes/contributiontojournal/article10.1002/osp4.472