Does obesity cause asthma?

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A study from Sweden suggests that obesity is a risk factor for asthma.
Rates of asthma have been increasing in recent years. So, too, have the rates of obesity. Could there, perhaps, be a link? A team of researchers in Northern Sweden studied a group of 309 newly-diagnosed asthmatics to try to discover the answer.

They found that obesity is, indeed, a risk factor for asthma. However, it is not clear why this might be. It is possible that some dietary factor which causes both asthma and obesity is responsible. Lack of physical activity may also play a role. Or there could be some undiscovered hormonal issues at play. Obesity has already been linked to diabetes, cancer and other problems. It seems we must now add asthma to this list.

Source
European Respiratory Journal February 2005

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