Abstract
Background: The association between overweight and asthma remains controversial.
Aim: To investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI), disease control and airway inflammation in an asthmatic population.
Methods: We consecutively studied 408 patients (43±16 yr; 248 F). In all patients, BMI, spirometry, Asthma Control Test (ACT) and Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide (FeNO, ppb) were measured.
Results: 205 patients had a BMI > 25 kg/m2 and, as compared to those with normal BMI, had lower values of FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, FEF25, FEF75 and FEF25-75 (p<0.05 for each comparison). The ratio between the number of patients with well controlled asthma (ACT ≥ 20) and that of patients with poor controlled asthma (ACT < 20) was significantly lower in patients with increased BMI (106/99 vs 131/71; χ2= 7.227, p<0.01). In patients with increased BMI, the odds ratio of uncontrolled asthma was 1.723 (95% CI = 1.157-2.566). No difference was observed in FeNO values between the two groups of patients.
Conclusions: Our results show that in an asthmatic population, the increase in BMI is associated with poor spirometry and worse disease control, but not with FeNO values.
- © 2011 ERS