Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 24, 2026
Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
Body Height of Children with Bronchial Asthma of Various Severities
Tatiana I Eliseeva1, Natalia A Geppe2, Elena V Tush1
1Department of Hospital Pediatrics, Nizhny Novgorod State Medical Academy, 10/1 Minin and Pozharsky Square, Nizhny Novgorod 603005, Russia.
Insights
Children with more severe bronchial asthma (BA) show increased rates of reduced physical development. Mild BA cases had similar growth patterns to healthy children, but severe BA significantly impacted height.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Child Health and Development
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Bronchial asthma (BA) is a common chronic respiratory condition in children.
- Physical development, including height, can be affected by chronic childhood diseases.
- Understanding the impact of BA severity on growth is crucial for comprehensive patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the influence of bronchial asthma severity on the physical development of children.
- To compare anthropometric data of children with atopic BA to a healthy control group.
- To identify correlations between BA severity and growth parameters in pediatric patients.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1042 children and adolescents with atopic BA was assessed.
- Standard clinical examinations, including anthropometry, were performed on all participants.
- A control group of 875 healthy children of comparable age was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- The overall distribution of normal, low, and increased height in BA patients was similar to the healthy population.
- A significant, monotonic increase in reduced physical development was observed with increasing BA severity.
- Fractions of children with reduced height were 8.2% (healthy), 4.2% (intermittent BA), 9% (mild persistent BA), 11.7% (moderate persistent BA), and 24.3% (severe persistent BA).
Conclusions:
- Reduced physical development, specifically height, is significantly and progressively more common in children with increasing severity of bronchial asthma.
- Children with intermittent and mild persistent BA exhibit growth patterns comparable to their healthy peers.
- Severe persistent bronchial asthma poses a significant risk factor for impaired physical development in children.
Abstract:
Influence of bronchial asthma (BA) severity on physical development in children patients was evaluated in comparison with healthy population. Materials and Methods. 1042 children and adolescents (768 boys) with atopic BA were evaluated. All children underwent standard examination in a clinical setting, including anthropometry. The control group included 875 healthy children of a comparable age (423 boys). Results. The fraction of patients with the normal, lower, and increased height among the whole group of patients with BA is close to the corresponding values in the healthy population (χ2 = 3.32, p = 0.65). The fraction of BA patients with the reduced physical development is increased monotonically and significantly when the BA severity increases: healthy group, 8.2% (72/875), BA intermittent, 4.2% (6/144), BA mild persistent 9% (47/520), BA moderate persistent, 11.7% (36/308), and BA severe persistent, 24.3% (17/70) (χ2 = 45.6, p = 0,0009). Conclusion. The fraction of the children with the reduced height is increased monotonically and significantly in the groups of increasing BA severities. At the same time, the fraction of such children in groups of intermittent and mild persistent BA practically does not differ from the conditionally healthy peers.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Asthma-IV: Diagnostic and Management
Clinical Assessment for Asthma:
This is the first step in diagnosing and managing asthma. It includes:
01:24Asthma-III: Symptoms and Complications
Classification of Asthma
01:23The Bronchial Tree
The trachea, commonly known as the windpipe, is a tube that connects the larynx (voice box) to the bronchi. At a point called the carina, it bifurcates into two primary bronchi. The right primary bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left primary...
01:26Asthma-II: Pathophysiology and Classification
Additionally, environmental and genetic factors play crucial roles in determining an individual's susceptibility to asthma and the severity of their condition.
Critical processes in asthma pathophysiology include:
01:29Asthma-I: Introduction
01:25Antiasthma Drugs: β2-Adrenoceptor Agonists
One class of bronchodilators includes β2-adrenoceptor agonists. These agents target the β2-adrenoceptors located on bronchial smooth muscle cells. By stimulating these receptors, β2-agonists induce...