Obesity narrows airway, leads to Asthma
Researchers also know that obesity is linked to an increased risk for asthma.
New York (Online) - Obesity is the root cause of some of our most serious health issues: diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease, to name a few.
Researchers also know that obesity is linked to an increased risk for asthma. People with a high body mass index — roughly 30 percent or more — usually have ongoing, low-grade inflammation throughout the body. This includes their airways.
But a new study published this month in the American Journal of Physiology-Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology looked at a potentially different link between obesity and asthma. The study showed that during an asthmatic episode, the smooth muscle cells from obese patients contract more than smooth muscle cells in nonobese patients.
Even though the study is the first of its kind, experts that Healthline talked to say these findings could give rise to a new method of diagnosis and treatment for obese and asthmatic patients.
“I think the study is an early step toward understanding the molecular mechanisms that cause the differences in asthma prevalence and severity,” Dr. Emily Pennington, a pulmonologist at the Cleveland Clinic said.
One of the biggest findings from the study is that it overturns the notion that low-grade inflammation is the root cause of asthma among obese patients, according to Dr. Stokes Peebles, a pulmonologist and allergy specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical School.
”It’s not just the inflammation, it’s the smooth muscles” said.
“The smooth muscles are different between someone who has obesity and someone who doesn’t.”
That’s key, because smooth muscle cells control the diameter of our airways, according to Dr. Reynold Panettieri. Panettieri is the vice chancellor for
Translational Medicine and Science, as well as director at the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine and Science. He is also one of the study’s authors.
During optimum conditions, the smooth muscles in our airways are relaxed. We breathe in and out with little consternation. But add an irritant to the mix, such as an allergen, and the conditions in your airway will change.
