Obesity may exacerbate asthma in children
In a Pediatric Allergy & Immunology study of children hospitalized for asthma, obesity was a risk factor for repeated hospital admissions.
The study included 38,679 patients, including 3177 underweight, 28,904 normal weight, 3334 overweight, and 3264 obese patients. Those in the obese group were more likely to be readmitted to the hospital within 30-days of discharge and to have longer hospital stays than those in the normal-weight group.
No significant difference was observed between the four groups regarding the need for intensive care and total hospitalization costs.
"Our investigations provide important information for the prevention of obesity in children with asthma," wrote the authors of the study.
More information: Yusuke Okubo et al, Impact of pediatric obesity on acute asthma exacerbation in Japan, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology (2017). DOI: 10.1111/pai.12801
