hildren who are diagnosed with asthma are more likely to become obese later in childhood, according to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care. Treatment with rescue inhalers may help mitigate the risk, the researchers report.
“Asthma and obesity often occur together in children, but it is unclear whether children with asthma are at higher risk for onset of obesity or whether obese children develop asthma,” said lead author Zhanghua Chen, PhD, from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California-Los Angeles in a press release. “Our findings add to the literature that early-life asthma history may lead to increased risk of childhood obesity.” To probe the relationship between asthma and obesity, Chen and her colleagues analyzed data on 2171 children who enrolled in the Southern California Children’s Health Study between the ages of 5 and 8 years and who were not obese at enrollment. Children in the study were followed for up to 10 years after enrollment. Children were measured and weighed each year to determine their body mass index, and parents or children reported their asthma status.