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Asthma and obesity in childhood: on the road ahead

D G Peroni1, A Pietrobelli, A L Boner

  • 1Pediatric Department, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.

International Journal of Obesity (2005)
|January 13, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Asthma and obesity link needs objective markers for accurate diagnosis, especially in children. Relying solely on self-reported symptoms can lead to overdiagnosis, necessitating careful evaluation of lung function and inflammation.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Obesity Medicine
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Epidemiological studies indicate a correlation between asthma and obesity.
  • Current asthma diagnosis, particularly in children, often relies on self-reported symptoms, which can be unreliable.
  • Obesity can mimic asthma symptoms like wheezing and dyspnea, and affect exercise tolerance and symptom perception.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To emphasize the need for objective markers beyond self-reported symptoms for accurate asthma diagnosis in obese children.
  • To highlight the importance of characterizing asthma phenotype using objective measures.
  • To caution against overdiagnosis of asthma in obese children based solely on subjective reporting.

Main Methods:

  • Review of epidemiological data linking asthma and obesity.
  • Discussion of the limitations of self-reported asthma diagnosis.
  • Proposal for utilizing objective markers: lung function, bronchial hyper-reactivity, atopic sensitization, and lung inflammation indices.

Main Results:

  • Self-reported symptoms in obese individuals may not accurately reflect asthma.
  • Obesity can lead to symptoms that overlap with asthma, complicating diagnosis.
  • Objective markers are crucial for differentiating true asthma from symptom overlap in obese children.

Conclusions:

  • A multidisciplinary approach is essential for understanding the complex interplay between obesity and asthma.
  • Physicians should use objective measurements to confirm asthma diagnosis in obese children, avoiding overdiagnosis.
  • Diet and exercise may play a role in both the diagnosis and management of asthma and obesity.

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