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Hot topic - Expanding waistline linked to asthma

19 October 2004 - written by Bupa's Health information team

Carrying excess fat around the middle of the body may increase your chances of developing asthma, according to a new study in the November 2004 edition of Respiratory Medicine.1

What did the study show?

The study showed that obese people were more than twice as likely to suffer from asthma than people of normal weight.1

Was there any link between body shape and asthma?

Yes. The study also found that having a larger waist measurement (the "apple" shape) appears to be a greater risk for developing asthma than just having a high BMI (body mass index).

In this study, men with a waist measurement of more than 102cm were five times more likely to develop asthma than men with a normal waist measurement.1

How was the study carried out?

In a previous study, researchers looked at personal information (including weight) of around 10,000 people from Sweden.1

In this study, the researchers looked through records from a local asthma clinic and hospital so that they could identify people with asthma, aged between 20 and 50 years, between 1995 and 2000.

The researchers referred back to the earlier study to investigate whether the people who were obese also had asthma.1

What is obese and what is "normal weight"?

Calculating BMI (body mass index) is a method of deciding whether a person is the correct weight for their height. It is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in metres, and then dividing the result by height in metres again. See our BMI calculator to work out your own BMI.

Normal weight refers to a weight that is healthy for your height. This corresponds to a BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9. 2

People with a BMI between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight. People with a BMI over 30 are considered obese. An excess of body fat is usually the cause of high BMI. For more information about healthy weight for adults, please see our factsheet at
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/Diet_and_weight.html

What is asthma?

Asthma is a condition that causes the airways (the tubes that carry air to and from the lungs) to become inflamed and narrowed, making it difficult to breathe.3

People whose symptoms are caused by environmental factors such as pollen or dust are said to have allergic asthma. People whose symptoms don't appear to be brought on by anything external are said to have non-allergic asthma.3

What triggers asthma?

Anything that irritates your airways can trigger asthma. Common triggers include:3

  • allergies (eg pollen, animals, dust-mites)
  • irritants (eg tobacco smoke, chemical fumes)
  • exercise
  • chest infections, colds or flu

What are the symptoms of asthma?

Symptoms of asthma can include coughing, wheezing, a tight feeling in the chest and difficulty breathing. Severe asthma attacks can sometimes be fatal.3

For more information about asthma, please see our factsheets at
http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/asthma_in_adults.html and http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/asthma.html

Who gets asthma?

Asthma can develop at any age. Some children get asthma but then the symptoms may disappear as they get older. Other people develop asthma much later in life, without ever having experienced symptoms as a child.

What is the reason for the link between obesity and asthma?

Scientists don't know why obesity and asthma may be linked. It could be that being obese increases of developing asthma.

Alternatively, it could be that having asthma increases the risk of obesity. One possible explanation is that people with asthma avoid exercise, and as a result they gain weight. However, this does not explain why the study showed that asthma was associated only with excess fat around the waist, and not all-over body fat.

Can people with asthma exercise?

Yes. People with asthma who exercise are less likely to be troubled by their asthma symptoms.3

People who find that exercise triggers symptoms should make sure they take their preventer treatment as advised, and keep the reliever inhaler handy when exercising.

Is obesity linked with both types of asthma?

No. In this study, being obese was only associated with non-allergic asthma.1

This may be because non-allergic asthma is more likely to develop in later life, and is not brought on by external factors such as pollen.

What else can increase the risk of developing asthma?

  • Genetics
    Although asthma is not inherited, the tendency to develop asthma is inherited. Whether it develops or not depends on exposure to environmental factors that can trigger asthma.
  • Smoking whilst pregnant
    This can increase the possibility of your child developing asthma.
  • Pollution
    Environmental pollution has not been shown to cause asthma but it can make symptoms worse.
  • Viral infection
    A cold or flu may cause asthma to develop in later life.
  • Irritants
    Irritants in the workplace, such as smoke or fumes, may cause a person to develop asthma. 3

How can I reduce my risk of developing asthma?

Although it is not possible to guarantee that you will not develop asthma, this new study suggests that being a healthy weight may lower your chances of developing asthma.1

Try to maintain a healthy weight by eating the right amount and right balance of foods.

For more information about eating a healthy balanced diet and maintaining a healthy weight, please see our factsheet at http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/healthy_eating.html

How is asthma treated?

There is no cure for asthma but there are treatments that help control the symptoms. Everyone with asthma should have a reliever inhaler or "puffer", which they can take to relieve symptoms. The inhaler delivers a dose of medicine in aerosol or dry powder form. This medicine quickly relaxes the muscles in the chest, making it easier to breathe again.3

If you use your reliever inhaler more than 3-4 times a week, you may also need to take a preventer treatment. Preventer treatments help to control swelling and inflammation in the airways. They can be given in an inhaler or as tablets.3

Further information

Bupa resources:

External resources:

References

  1. Kronander UNUN, Falkenberg M, Zetterström O. Prevalence and incidence of asthma related to waist circumference and BMI in a Swedish community sample. Respir Med 2004;98:1109-1116.
  2. House of Commons Health Committee. Obesity - Third report of Session 2003-4. Volume 1. Report together with final minutes.
    http://www.publications.parliament.uk
  3. Asthma UK. All about asthma - six-step guide
    http://www.asthma.org.uk

 

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