New Study Links Obesity and Asthma

ABC News is reporting on a new study confirming a link between obesity and asthma. Thestudy was conducted by researchers at Palo Alto's Medical Research Institute in California. The study reviewed approximately 4,500 men and women respondents to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 2005-2006. Two-thirds of those studied were reported to beoverweight or obese by the survey.In reviewing the study the researchers found that 41% had some type of allergy. Asthma occurred in 8% of the studied respondents. According to the researchers the likelihood of asthma in respondents rose with the body mass index and waist size. The study concluded that the risk of asthma was more than tripled for the most obese individuals. The current study doesn't suggest a definite reason for the higher incidence of asthma in obese individuals and the researchers suggestmore studies are needed to investigate the link between obesity and asthma.If you're overweight and suffering from asthma-like symptoms, including shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing, and coughing, contact our office to setup an appointment.