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New American research has shown that recording excess weight could cause about a quarter of asthma cases in obese children.
Researchers at Duke University in collaboration with the US National Pediatric Learning Health System (PEDSnet) conducted a large study of 507,496 children aged 2 to 17 years.
After observing the children on average for four years, the researchers found that the children obese recorded a increased risk by 30% to develop a asthma in comparison with normal weight children, while those in overweight but not obese increased their risk of 17% to develop this disease.
Their results, relayed by the journal Pediatrics, remained relevant even after taking into account other risk factors such as gender, age, socioeconomic status and allergies.
The researchers added that about 23 to 27% of new cases of obesity-related asthma could be attributed to obesity, which would mean that about 10% of cases could be avoided in this age group, which represents nearly a million young Americans.
"Asthma is the chronic disease number one in children and some of the causes like genetics and viral infections in childhood are things that can not be prevented"commented study author Jason E. Lang.
"Obesity may be the only risk factor for preventable childhood asthma – it's a new testament to the importance of physical activity for children to maintain a healthy weight."
The researchers noted that the study did, however, have limitations and that more research was needed to prove that overweight and obesity were direct causes of the changes that cause asthma.
"I think it's reasonable to worry about the causal link", said Professor Lang.It seems that becoming overweight or obese in childhood increases significant the risk of developing asthma, which once again directs attention to the importance of prevent obesity from the youngest age."
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