Study Links Obesity to Asthma

by | Apr 5, 2016 | 2013, Asthma, Infant and Children's Health, Obesity, Skin Health

Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Study of 76,534 children and 201,370 teenagers shows that obese and overweight children and teenagers are at a significantly higher risk for asthma, eczema, and conjunctivitis.

Asthma affects more than 6.1 million children (1) and is “a major public health problem of increasing concern in the United States.” It is the third-ranking cause of hospitalization among those younger than 15 years of age, costing our healthcare system $3.2 billion and resulting in 14 million lost school days each year (2).

While maintaining healthy levels of vitamin D (3) and supplementing with pycnogenol (4) may be effective ways to deal with asthma, a 2013 study (5) suggests being overweight or obese are risk factors for asthma, as well as two symptoms of asthma, a skin condition called eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis.  These are characterized by nasal congestion, runny nose, post-nasal drip, sneezing, red eyes, and itching of the nose or eyes (6).

The study involved 76,164 children aged 6 to 7 and 201,370 teenagers aged 13 to 14 participating in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (7) Phase Three.  They completed written questionnaires (8) about their symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema and their height and weight were measured.

The researchers found “a clear association” between obesity and asthma, eczema, and rhinoconjunctivitis.  Specifically:

Risk AsthmaRisk EczemaRisk severe rhinoconjunctivitisp-value
Overweight 6-7 year olds12% increased 8% increased 4% decreased risk < 0.05
Obese 6-7 year olds18% increased 20% increased 10% increased < 0.05
Overweight 13-14 year olds17% increased 16% increased 10% increased < 0.05
Obese 13-14year olds28% increased 42% increased 41% increased < 0.05

Only overweight 6-7 year-olds did not have an increased risk of rhinoconjunctivitis. When suggesting  mechanisms linking overweight and obesity to asthma, eczema and rhinoconjunctivits, the researchers found “a generalized state of inflammation” triggered by elevated levels of the hormone leptin that occur with obesity (9) as well as physiological changes that can occur with sedentary behavior that increase risk (10).  Finally, a poor diet (11) can increase cell damage (oxidative stress), with “some diets, especially those excluding antioxidant food such as fruits and vegetables, are related to increased obesity.”

For the researchers, “This study has confirmed the association between overweight and obesity and symptoms of asthma” and that “There are complex relationships between obesity, vigorous physical activity and sedentary behaviour and the symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in children.”

Source: Mitchell, E. A., et al. “The association between BMI, vigorous physical activity and television viewing and the risk of symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in children and adolescents: ISAAC Phase Three.” Clinical & Experimental Allergy 43.1 (2013): 73-84.

© 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Posted February 19, 2016.

Greg Arnold is a Chiropractic Physician practicing in Hauppauge, NY.  You can contact Dr. Arnold directly by emailing him at PitchingDoc@msn.com or visiting his web site at www.PitchingDoc.com

References:

  1. “Asthma” posted on the American Lung Association Website
  2. “Ashtma’s Impact on Children and Adolescents” posted on the CDC website
  3. Confino-Cohen R. Vitamin D, asthma prevalence and asthma exacerbations: a large adult population-based study. Allergy 2014 Dec;69(12):1673-80. doi: 10.1111/all.12508. Epub 2014 Oct 3
  4. Lau B, et al.  Pycnogenol as an Adjunct in the Management of Childhood Asthma.  J of Asthma 2005: 41(8): 825-32
  5. Mitchell EA.  The association between BMI, vigorous physical activity and television viewing and the risk of symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema in children and adolescents: ISAAC Phase Three.  Clin Exp Allergy 2013 Jan;43(1):73-84
  6. “Rhinoconjunctivitis” posted on the Association of Allergists and Immunologists of Quebec website
  7. Ellwood P, Asher MI, Beasley R, Clayton TO, Stewart AW, and the ISAAC Steering Committee. The international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC): Phase Three rationale and methods. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2005; 9:10–6.
  8. Ellwood P, Williams H, Aı¨t-Khaled N, Bjo¨rkste´n B, Robertson C, ISAAC Phase III Study Group. Translation of questions: the international study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC) experience. Int J Tuberc Lung Dis 2009; 13:1174–82.
  9. Nagel G, Koenig W, Rapp K, Wabitsch M, Zoellner I, Weiland SK. Associations of adipokines with asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema in German schoolchildren. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2009; 20:81–8
  10. Sherriff A, Maitra A, Ness AR et al. Association of duration of television viewing in early childhood with the subsequent development of asthma. Thorax 2009; 64:321–5.
  11. Suarez-Varela MM, Alvarez LG, Kogan MD et al. Diet and prevalence of atopic eczema in 6 to 7-year-old schoolchildren in Spain: ISAAC phase III. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 2010; 20:469–75