Obesity and asthma

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology Vol. 141; no. 4; pp. 1169 - 1179
• Main Authors: Peters, Ubong, Dixon, Anne E., Forno, Erick
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2018; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Allergies; Asthma; Asthma - epidemiology; Asthma - microbiology; Asthma - physiopathology; Asthma - prevention & control; Body mass index; Body weight loss; Child; Children; Diet; Epidemiology; Facsimile communication; Genetics; Genotype & phenotype; Health risks; Humans; Immunology; Inflammation; Internet; Intervention; Lungs; Medical personnel; Metabolic syndrome; Metabolism; microbiome; Microbiomes; Microbiota; Nutrients; obese asthma; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - microbiology; Obesity - physiopathology; Obesity - prevention & control; Pathogenesis; Pollutants; Public health; Quality of Life; Respiratory function; Risk factors; Syndrome; Teenagers; Weight control; Womens health; United States > US; ILC; NO; RCT; ERV; TLC; AHR; microbiome; SCFA; Asthma; obese asthma; metabolic syndrome; FVC; SNP; ICS; obesity; CAMP; BMI
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2018.02.004

Obesity is a vast public health problem and both a major risk factor and disease modifier for asthma in children and adults. Obese subjects have increased asthma risk, and obese asthmatic patients have more symptoms, more frequent and severe exacerbations, reduced response to several asthma medications, and decreased quality of life. Obese asthma is a complex syndrome, including different phenotypes of disease that are just beginning to be understood. We examine the epidemiology and characteristics of this syndrome in children and adults, as well as the changes in lung function seen in each age group. We then discuss the better recognized factors and mechanisms involved in disease pathogenesis, focusing particularly on diet and nutrients, the microbiome, inflammatory and metabolic dysregulation, and the genetics/genomics of obese asthma. Finally, we describe current evidence on the effect of weight loss and mention some important future directions for research in the field.