Abstract
Asthma and obesity have had an increasing trend in recent decades, constituting one of the major priorities in the health of children.
The aim of this study was to compare the respiratory function and oxygen consumption in four groups of children: obese, asthmatics, obese-asthmatic and controls, in order to assess their metabolic pattern and respiratory values.
Methods: 152 children, 8 to 16 y.o., divided as follows: 31 asthmatics, 42 controls, 56 obese and 23 obese-asthmatics children were tested. Every child performed spirometry, respiratory muscles (endurance) and oxygen consumption (VO2) evaluation, obtained on a cycloergometer according to a protocol of increasing effort.
Results: Spirometric values were comparable between obese and controls (average FEV1 105 and 107% pred, respectively), whereas there was a s.s. difference (p < 0.05) between asthmatics and obese-asthmatics. Endurance was lower in obese (26.97 J) and obese-asthmatics (24.06 J) than in asthmatics alone (31.52 J) and controls (31.98 J), but without any s.s.difference (p=0.60). The maximal VO2/kg was lower in obese (30.63 ml/kg/min) and obese-asthmatics (31.95 ml/kg/min) than in controls (37.19 ml/kg/min) or asthmatics (41.72 ml/kg/min) (p=0.0001 for each one).
Conclusion: The increase in body weight does not seem to affect spirometric values but obese children have a lower value of endurance, probably due to a respiratory muscle weakness and VO2/kg max was lower in obese than asthmatics, probably due to alterations in the cardio respiratory system.
- © 2011 ERS