Obese people with asthma have nearly 5 times greater risk of hospitalization for asthmaSeptember 04, 2008Obese people who have asthma are nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for the condition than non-obese people with asthma, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published in the September issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. This is the first study to control for the risk factors - smoking, use of oral or inhaled corticosteroid medications, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, and demographics - that might explain the obesity-asthma association. Previous studies have shown that obese people are more likely to suffer asthma than non-obese people, and that obese patients often have more severe asthma than their non-obese counterparts. More than 20 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma. Nearly a third of adults with asthma are also obese, according to researchers. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher (http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/defining.htm)
Researchers at Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., and the Kaiser Permanente Institute for Health Research in Denver surveyed 1,113 patients in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, age 35 and older, who have persistent asthma. The researchers asked the patients about their weight, height, smoking habits, other illnesses, treatment and their asthma-specific quality of life, asthma control and asthma-related hospitalizations. "The big finding here is that even after adjusting for risk factors, obese adults were nearly five times more likely to be hospitalized for their asthma," said study lead author David M. Mosen, Ph.D., MPH, of the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research. "Given that nearly 30 percent of our country is obese, this study is yet another example of the long-term dangers of obesity, along with heart disease, diabetes, stroke and dementia." The study uncovered these findings: * Obese people with asthma had significantly worse asthma control, lower asthma-related quality of life, and had 4.6 times higher risk for asthma-related hospitalizations than non-obese asthmatics * Obese people with asthma were younger and less educated than non-obese people with asthma * Obese people with asthma used more oral corticosteroids * Obese people with asthma had a higher incidence of gastroesophageal reflux disorder. "The take-home message of this study for clinicians is that obese people with asthma need to be followed more carefully because it's harder to control their asthma, so they are more likely to end up in the hospital," said study co-author Dr. Michael Schatz, Chief of Allergy at Kaiser Permanente San Diego Medical Center. "My advice for obese asthmatics is: be vigilant to keep your asthma symptoms in check, make sure you know what to do when your symptoms worsen, and do whatever you can to lose weight." Kaiser Permanente Science News and Science Current Events Tag Cloud This tag cloud is a visual representation of term frequencies of random science news topics with common terms grouped together and emphasized by their display size. Astrocytes Neurological Disease Arthritis Drinking Bacterium In-vitro Fertilization Statins Periodontal Disease Brain Cells Obesity CPR Cancer Therapy Sexual Abuse Cannabis Bisphosphonates Cavities Fuel Cell Weight Management Cassini Macrophages Apoptosis Spiders Human Genome Immunotherapy Academic Performance
See More: Science News Tags | |||||||||||||||||||||
|
Related Asthma Current Events and Asthma News Articles ATS, ERS jointly issue asthma assessment guidelines The American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society have released official standards for clinical trials and practice with respect to the assessment of asthma. Study Characterizes Eczema Patients Most at Risk for Dangerous Viral Infections Eczema patients at risk for serious viral infections have more severe disease, are more likely to be allergic to food and other allergens, and have a frequent history of staph infections. Salt block unexpectedly stretches in Sandia experiments To stretch a supply of salt generally means using it sparingly. Pitt Researchers Zero In on Ozone With Fluorescent Solution That Detects Harmful Molecule in the Air and Body Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a fluorescent substance that glows bright green when exposed to even minute amounts of ozone in the air and in biological samples such as human lung cells. Children susceptible to pesticides longer than expected, study finds Although it is known that infants are more susceptible than adults to the toxic effects of pesticides, this increased vulnerability may extend much longer into childhood than expected. Adults with asthma not getting their flu shots Because of increased risk of complications from influenza, vaccination of adults and children with asthma is recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Group Health Cooperative shows investing in more primary care pays for itself An evaluation of recent innovations in delivering primary care at a Group Health Cooperative medical center shows significant success and rapid return on investment. Breakthrough in understanding severe asthma has potential for new treatment Scientists from King's College London and Imperial College London believe they have discovered a key element in the development of chronic asthma. Top notch decisions in the developing airways bring insights into lung disease In the normal lung, the airways are lined by a balanced mixture of ciliated, secretory and neuroendocrine cells which perform functions as diverse as air humidification, detoxification, and clearance of environmental particles. Middle-aged women experience more stress but have lower blood pressure Both blood pressure and serum lipid levels have improved in Swedish middle-aged women during the past 30 years. More Asthma Current Events and Asthma News Articles |
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||