A recent study links waist size and a higher risk for asthma attack. After adjustments, the likelihood of asthma attacks was 1.06 times higher for every 5-cm increase in waist circumference in adults with asthma.
BMI Earlier Tied to Asthma
Previous research supports a link between increased body mass index (BMI) and asthma, but the association between abdominal obesity and asthma attacks has not been well studied.
The researchers in the current study reviewed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 5530 adults with asthma in the United States. Adults in the study were divided into groups based on whether they did or did not experience asthma attacks.
The median age of the study population was 43 years, the median waist circumference was 98.9 cm, and the median BMI was 28.50.
More Waist Inches = Asthma Attacks
The association between increased waist circumference and increased odds of asthma attack was significant across non-adjusted, minimally adjusted, and fully adjusted models (odds ratios, 1.7, 1.06, and 1.06, respectively). In fact, each 5-cm increase in waist circumference was associated with a 1.06 times higher likelihood of an asthma attack after full adjustment for BMI-defined obesity, age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, poverty income ratio, smoking status, and metabolic syndrome.
The relationship between increased likelihood of asthma attacks and increased waist circumference persisted in subgroup analyses based on gender, age, and smoking status.
Importance of Waist Size
“Our study underscores the critical role of waist circumference measurements in the routine health evaluations of individuals diagnosed with asthma, highlighting its inclusion as an essential aspect of comprehensive health assessments,” the researchers wrote.
Limited to Data Available
The study findings were limited by several factors including the use of existing database questions to evaluate asthma attacks, a lack of data on the specificity of triggers of asthma exacerbations, and an inability to distinguish the severity of asthma attacks.
The study was published online in BMC Public Health. The lead author was Xiang Liu, MD, of Qingdao Municipal Hospital, Qingdao, China.
The study received no outside funding. The researchers had no financial conflicts to disclose.
A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.