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March 29, 2019 – The dietary intake of two fatty acids, omega-3s and omega-6s, could have opposite effects on the severity of asthma in children and could also play an opposite role in the modification of their response to indoor air pollution research published online in the American Thoracic Society & # 39; s American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.
Emily P. Brigham, MD, MHS, and co-authors report that omega-3 and omega-6 consumption alters the severity of asthma and the response to indoor air pollution among children. Less severe asthma and fewer symptoms in response to higher levels of indoor air pollution by particles. Conversely, children whose diets were rich in omega-6 had more severe asthma and more symptoms in response to higher levels of indoor particle pollution.
"It is increasingly evident that diet, especially omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, can play a role in lung health," said Dr. Brigham, lead author of the study. and badistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University.
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, soy, some nuts and some seeds, are considered healthy in part because they can promote the resolution of inflammation in the body. Omega-6 fatty acids, mainly found in vegetable oils, have mixed effects on health but usually promote inflammation.
"Many children in the United States, including those in Baltimore City [Maryland]where we did our research, adopt a diet very different from the national recommendations. This usually means that they consume small amounts of omega-3 and higher amounts of omega-6, "said Dr. Brigham, adding that pediatric asthma rates in the city were more than twice the national average. " Because asthmatic children already prone to inflammation and respiratory symptoms, we wanted to know if these fatty acids could further contribute to the severity of the disease and their symptoms in response to indoor air pollution , which is often high in townhouses. "
The study included 135 children aged 5 to 12 years (mean age: 9.5 years) with asthma. Ninety-six percent of the children were African American and 47% were girls. About a third of children had mild asthma, a third with moderate asthma and a third with severe asthma. Their diet, their daily asthma symptoms and the use of asthma medications were evaluated for a week at registration and again for a week at three and six months .
During the same periods, investigators measured two types of indoor particulate pollution, PM2.5 and PM10, which are known triggers for asthma and cause increased symptoms in asthmatic children. Invisible to the naked eye, PM2.5 penetrates deeply into the lungs to reach the tiny air sacs, or alveoli. PM10s include particles larger than PM2.5, but still having a diameter equal to one-sixth of the width of a human hair or less. When inhaled, these larger particles settle along the airways.
The study also found that higher levels of omega-6 in children's diets correlated with higher percentages of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell badociated with inflammation) in response to the particle pollution.
The limitations of the study include the fact that children, with the help of their parents, self-reported their fatty acid intake, using a food questionnaire specifically designed for Baltimore City residents. As this was an observational study rather than a randomized, controlled study, the researchers could not establish cause-and-effect or rule out other factors that may have contributed to the relationship noted with asthma.
However, researchers believe their study highlights the potential importance of diet for a population that suffers from high rates of asthma.
"If there is a cause-and-effect relationship between diet and asthma, a healthier diet could protect children with asthma, especially minority children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods, against some harmful effects of air pollution, "said Dr. Brigham. "Among vulnerable populations, we could find that improving food and air pollution has the greatest impact on the health of asthma."
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This study was funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, the National Center for the Advancement of Translational Science and the Environmental Protection Agency.
About American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
AJRCCM is a peer-reviewed journal published by the American Thoracic Society. The Journal is proud to publish the most innovative science and reviews, guidelines and statements of the highest quality in Respirology, Critical Care and Sleep. With an impact factor of 15,239, it is one of the top ranked journals in pneumology. Editor-in-Chief: Jadwiga Wedzicha, MD, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at the National Institute of Heart and Lungs (Royal Brompton Campus), Imperial College London, UK.
About the American Thoracic Society
Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is the leading medical badociation in the world dedicated to the advancement of pulmonary medicine, critical care and sleep medicine. The Society's 15,000 members prevent and fight respiratory diseases around the world through research, education, patient care and advocacy. ATS publishes three newspapers, the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the American Journal of Molecular and Respiratory Cell Biology and the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.
ATS will hold its 2019 international conference from May 17-22 in Dallas, Texas, where world-renowned experts will share the latest scientific research and clinical advances in pneumology, critical care and sleep.
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