Obesity-asthma association: is it explained by systemic oxidant stress?
Akshay Sood1, Clifford Qualls2, Alexander Arynchyn3
1Department of Medicine, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM.
Chest
|July 14, 2009
Summary
Systemic oxidant stress does not explain the obesity-asthma link in women. Gender and obesity confound the asthma-oxidant stress relationship, suggesting other factors may be involved.
Area of Science:
- Respiratory health
- Metabolic disorders
- Biomarkers of oxidative stress
Background:
- The relationship between obesity and asthma is not fully understood.
- This research investigated whether systemic oxidant stress underlies the obesity-asthma association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test the hypothesis that systemic oxidant stress mediates the association between obesity and asthma.
- To explore gender-specific differences in the obesity-asthma relationship and its link to oxidant stress.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 2,865 participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) cohort at year 20.
- Assessed current asthma via self-report, systemic oxidant stress using plasma F2-isoprostane concentrations, and obesity via BMI, fat mass index (FMI), and lean mass index (LMI).
- Employed logistic and linear regression analyses, including gender-specific interaction terms.
Main Results:
- Asthma showed a trend towards association with higher F2-isoprostane levels, but this was not significant after adjusting for gender or BMI.
- The association between Body Mass Index (BMI) and asthma was significant only in women and was not mediated by plasma F2-isoprostane levels.
- Both fat mass index (FMI) and lean mass index (LMI) were positively associated with asthma in women, independent of oxidant stress markers.
Conclusions:
- Systemic oxidant stress, as measured by F2-isoprostane, is not independently associated with asthma and likely does not explain the obesity-asthma link in women.
- The observed association between asthma and oxidant stress is confounded by gender and obesity.
- Further research is needed to identify relevant systemic oxidant stress measures for asthma, as airway oxidant stress could not be assessed.
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