@article {Hjellvik1235, author = {V. Hjellvik and A. Tverdal and K. Furu}, title = {Body mass index as predictor for asthma: a cohort study of 118,723 males and females}, volume = {35}, number = {6}, pages = {1235--1242}, year = {2010}, doi = {10.1183/09031936.00192408}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {The objective of the present study was to quantify the relationship between body mass index (BMI; in kilogrammes per metre squared) and asthma in middle-aged males and females, and to evaluate change in BMI as a risk factor for asthma. Asthma incidence was estimated from data on redeemed prescriptions of anti-asthmatic drugs during the period 2004{\textendash}2007, retrieved from the nationwide Norwegian Prescription Database. BMI was measured during health surveys in 1994{\textendash}1999 in \>100,000 individuals born during 1952{\textendash}1959. Change in BMI was based on self-report. Relative risks were estimated using Poisson regression. The relative risk associated with a 3-unit increase in BMI ranged from 1.14 (95\% confidence interval 1.10{\textendash}1.18) in current smokers to 1.27 (1.22{\textendash}1.32) in never-smokers after adjusting for confounders. The relative risk associated with a 3-unit increase in BMI was 1.21 (1.16{\textendash}1.26) after adjusting for confounders, including sex, smoking and BMI. Asthma incidence, as measured by anti-asthmatic drug use, was positively related to both BMI and change in BMI. For BMI, the association was stronger for never-smokers than for ex-smokers and current smokers.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/35/6/1235}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/35/6/1235.full.pdf}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }