Asthma and obesity: Is asthma a risk factor for obesity?

ABSTRACT

Many studies have shown that asthma and obesity are linked and affect each other. Although obesity is an important risk factor for asthma, it is controversial whether asthma is a risk factor for obesity vice versa. Recent United States and European cohort studies have published papers reporting that pediatric asthma is a risk factor for obesity in school-aged children or adolescents. Previous studies have shown inconsistent results, suggesting that the 2 diseases are highly complex and that the relationships between them are strong. In order to understand the relationships between the 2 diseases, it is necessary to approach them from a new point of view such as energy metabolism relevance or autonomic nervous system control.