Being overweight or obese does not worsen asthma, but may reduce response to medications

Being overweight or obese does not make asthma worse in patients with mild and moderate forms of the disease, according to a study by National Jewish Health researchers, although it may reduce the response to medications.

Previous studies have suggested that obesity predisposes people to developing asthma, to suffer more severe asthma symptoms, and to respond less to medications. However, the exact mechanism for these links has been unclear, and the studies have generally relied upon patients’ reports of their diagnosis and symptoms rather than using more precise tools to characterize patients.