Obesity-induced inflammation may contribute to greater asthma severity.
Obesity, inflammation, and asthma severity in childhood: data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2004.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: The prevalences of asthma and obesity in children have increased significantly during the past 2 decades. The basis for the relationship between pediatric asthma and obesity is not well established. OBJECTIVES: To explore the association between obesity and asthma severity in children and adolescents and to test whether obesity-induced inflammation, as characterized by serum C-reactive protein (CRP), is associated with increased severity of asthma. METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis of interview, physical examination, and laboratory test data from participants younger than 20 years in 2 rounds of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001-2002 and 2003-2004). We also performed generalized ordered logistic regression to evaluate the effect of body mass index (BMI) z score and CRP level on asthma severity, controlling for the impact of age, sex, race, income, insurance, and tobacco smoke exposure. RESULTS: Of the 77 million individuals younger than 20 years represented by this weighted sample, 19% met the study-defined criteria for asthma; most cases were defined as mild (11%) or moderate (6%); 2% had severe asthma. In multivariable models, elevated BMI z scores (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-1.21) were associated with worse asthma severity. Elevated CRP level was associated with obesity (P
Affiliation
Division of Pediatric Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine, Duke Children's Hospital, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. [email protected]
External References
- PubMed ID:
- 19927535
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