
Overweight in Preschool Children Associated With Worse Asthma
Asthma, a leading cause of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among American preschoolers, may be worse in children aged 2 to 5 who are overweight or obese.
Asthma, a leading cause of emergency department visits and hospitalizations among American preschoolers, may be worse in children aged 2 to 5 who are overweight or obese.
A new study,
In the study of 736 preschool children with asthma, overweight status affected 33% (n = 244) at baseline. The children in the overweight group had 63% higher odds of having been hospitalized in the 12 months prior to enrollment (odds ratio [OR], 1.63; 95% CI, 1.07-2.48). However, weight did not seem to reduce the efficacy of corticosteroid inhalers in this patient population; when patients (n = 485) were randomized to an inhaled corticosteroid intervention, the researchers found no evidence that overweight status affected annualized asthma symptom days.
"The impact of overweight and obesity on asthma has not been studied in the youngest asthma patients, and this finding is the opposite of what has been seen in older kids and adults who are overweight," lead researcher Jason Lang, MD, MPH, said in a
The researchers concluded that, while high body mass index in early life does appear to worsen asthma in preschool children who are not being treated with controller therapy, overweight status is not clearly associated with a reduced response to inhaled corticosteroids.
“Weight does not hamper the effectiveness of inhaled steroids in preschoolers,” said Lang, “but this study provides clear evidence that maintaining a healthy weight in preschoolers may be an effective strategy for controlling asthma."
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