Larger Waists Linked to Greater Likelihood of Asthma Attacks

2 weeks ago 6

TOPLINE:

After adjustments, the likelihood of asthma attacks was 1.06 times higher for every 5-cm increase in waist circumference in adults with asthma.

METHODOLOGY:

Previous research supports a link between increased body mass index (BMI) and asthma, but the association between abdominal obesity and asthma attacks has not been well studied.
The researchers reviewed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 5530 adults with asthma in the United States, divided into groups based on whether they did or did not experience asthma attacks.
The median age of the study population was 43 years, the median waist circumference was 98.9 cm, and the median body mass index was 28.50.

TAKEAWAY:

Overall, patients who reported asthma attacks had a significantly higher waist circumference than those without asthma attacks (median, 102.6 cm vs 97.3 cm, P < .001).
The association between increased waist circumference and increased odds of asthma attack was significant across non-adjusted, minimally adjusted, and fully adjusted models (odds ratios, 1.7, 1.06, and 1.06, respectively); each 5-cm increase in waist circumference was associated with a 1.06 times higher likelihood of an asthma attack after full adjustment for BMI-defined obesity, age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, poverty income ratio, smoking status, and metabolic syndrome.
The relationship between increased likelihood of asthma attacks and increased waist circumference persisted in subgroup analyses based on gender, age, and smoking status.

IN PRACTICE:

"Our study underscores the critical role of waist circumference measurements in the routine health evaluations of individuals diagnosed with asthma, highlighting its inclusion as an essential aspect of comprehensive health assessments," the researchers wrote.

SOURCE:

The study was published online on April 25, 2024, in BMC Public Health. The lead author was Xiang Liu, MD, of Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China.

LIMITATIONS:

The findings were limited by several factors including the use of existing database questions to evaluate asthma attacks, a lack of data on the specificity of triggers of asthma exacerbations, and an inability to distinguish the severity of asthma attacks.