[BRONCHIAL ASTHMA AND METABOLIC SYNDROME]

Bronchial asthma (BA) and metabolic syndrome (MS) are important socio-medical problems with complicated pathogenetic relations between them that account for the development of mutually aggravating conditions making it dificult to control BA and deteriorating quality of life.

To study the clinical picture of BA in patients with MS and analyse the influence of MS components on BA control.

The study included 95 patients with partly controlled BA divided into 2 groups. Group 1 comprised 35 patients with BA without MS, group 2 consisted of 60 patients with BA and MS. Their comprehensive clinical and instrumental examination included evaluation of clinical symptoms and BA control, quality of life, anthropometric and spirometric data, arterial pressure, carbohydrate metabolism, blood lipid spectrum.

Patients with BA and MS suffered more pronounced changes of bronchial patency (forced expiratory volume during the first second) and the spread of daily peak exhalation rates than patients without MC. Also, they showed a tendency toward a decrease of vital lung capacity and Tiffeneau index. The assessment of the quality of life based on the Short Form-36 questionnaire revealed marked negative effect of BA +MS combination. Results of the first stage of the study were confirmed by correlation analysis of MS components, BA picture and control, spirometric data and quality of life characteristics. Among MS components, abdominal obesity and BMI showed the best correlation with the parameters characterizing the clinical picture of BA, such as apnea, BA control, results of spirometry (forced expiratory volume during the first second), and the spread of daily peak exhalation rates.

The presence of MS components (obesity, arterial hypertension, disordered lipid and carbohydrate metabolism) increases severity of BA and accounts for the deterioration of the patients' quality of life.