The risk for developing obesity is higher among adults with versus without asthma, according to a study published in Thorax. Subhabrata Moitra, PhD, and colleagues used data from three waves of the European Community Respiratory Health Survey (1990-2014) to assess the link among 7,576 adults. The risk for developing obesity was higher among adults with asthma than adults without asthma (relative risk [RR], 1.22 [95% CI, 1.07-1.38]). Risk was particularly high among those with non-atopic versus atopic disease (RR, 1.47 [1.17-1.86] vs 1.04 [0.86- 1.27]), those with longer disease duration (RR, 1.32 [1.10-1.59] in more than 20 years vs 1.12 [0.87-1.43] in 20 years or less), and those on oral corticosteroids (RR, 1.99 [1.26-3.15] vs 1.15 [1.03-1.28]). This association was not mediated by physical activity. “Understanding the crosstalk between asthma and obesity would help set a proper strategy for asthma management, particularly with an emphasis on reducing adverse effects of corticosteroids in asthma treatment,” Dr. Moitra and colleagues wrote.
