Asthma & Weight Loss
Approximately 20 million Americans suffer from asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation. While most take prescription medications to control their asthma, doctors are increasingly interested in other ways to improve asthma symptoms, including diet and weight loss. This may leave people with asthma wondering: Is there really a link between weight and asthma?
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What is Asthma?
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Asthma is a chronic lung inflammation that causes a person's airways to narrow. During an asthma attack, the smooth muscles in the bronchi narrow further, inflaming and swelling the airways and making breathing difficult. Without proper treatment, asthma is deadly, killing 3,613 Americans each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Obesity Link
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Many researchers believe there is a connection between being overweight and having asthma. While a number of studies do show adults who are overweight seem more likely to develop asthma and those who lose weight show a decrease in the symptoms of asthma, further studies are needed to understand the link between weight and asthma.
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More Weight? More Asthma
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At the most basic level, the lighter you are, the easier it is to breathe. If a person exercises more (in order to lose or maintain weight), improved muscle tone can help the chest muscles work better. And if you weigh less, you may have less acid reflux, which can aggravate asthma.
In one Finnish study published in the British Medical Journal, patients who lost about 24.5 pounds (and maintained that weight loss) showed a 7.2 percent improvement in asthma symptoms and a reduction of 1.2 doses of rescue-inhaler medication.
In another study, the Northern California Cancer Center found that women who were obese (with a body-mass index, or BMI, of 30 or higher) doubled their risk of asthma and those who were extremely obese (with a BMI of 40 or higher) tripled their risk.
Fat Equals Inflammation
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In another study conducted by the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center in Houston, researchers found "that fat tissue inside of the abdomen is an important source of eotaxin, which is an inflammatory mediator that is known to play a key role in asthma," said the lead researcher, Dr. Christie Ballantyne. The study also found that patients who lost weight saw a reduction in the symptoms of asthma.
Body Shape
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Even in people who aren't obese, weight loss may be helpful. The California Teachers Study discovered that, among 88,000 women, a wide waist makes a person more likely to develop asthma. Women with more fat on their waists (measuring 35 inches or more) had a 37 percent increase in the risk of developing asthma, even if they were considered "normal weight."
Medications May Cause Weight Gain
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All of this is complicated by the fact that some asthma medications--specifically corticosteroids--are known to cause weight gain and increased appetite. Therefore, people taking corticosteroids who are having trouble maintaining or reducing their weight may need to speak with their physician about trying other asthma medications.
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