Asthma interactions between obesity and other risk factors
Matthew Wong1, Erick Forno1, Juan C Celedón1
1Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Pittsburgh, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Summary
Obesity interacts with air pollutants to increase asthma risk. Further research is needed to understand how obesity modifies asthma risk with other factors like depression and diet.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Asthma Research
- Obesity and Chronic Disease
Background:
- Obesity is a growing public health concern linked to various chronic diseases.
- Asthma remains a significant respiratory condition affecting children and adults globally.
- Understanding the interplay between obesity and asthma is crucial for effective prevention and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and critically discuss existing evidence on the interactions between obesity and selected risk factors in childhood and adult asthma.
- To identify gaps in knowledge and propose future research directions in this field.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the National Library of Medicine (PubMed).
- Included studies were human-based, published in English, and available in full text.
- The search focused on interactions between obesity and factors such as sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, pollutants, mental health, and diet concerning asthma.
Main Results:
- Strong evidence indicates that obesity exacerbates asthma risk when interacting with indoor and outdoor air pollutants, including second-hand smoke (SHS).
- Limited data suggest obesity may alter the impact of depression and anxiety on asthma.
- Knowledge regarding interactions between obesity and sex hormones or dietary patterns on asthma is scarce.
Conclusions:
- Future research should prioritize well-designed observational prospective studies and randomized clinical trials to elucidate the impact of modifying coexisting exposures.
- Studies need adequate sample sizes to test a priori identified interactions between obesity and risk factors.
- Objective measures and biomarkers are essential for characterizing these complex relationships.
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