Prospective Study of Body Mass Index, Weight Change, and Risk of Adult-onset Asthma in Women

Asthma and body weight change: a 20-year prospective community study of young adults

“…Previous longitudinal epidemiological research has provided evidence for higher weight/BMI or weight gain to precede and predict the incident of asthma diagnosis or asthma symptoms in children 3,30 and adult women. 2,4 One previous study reported that the incidence of asthma over a 10-year period was highest in the group with the largest increase in BMI over this same time period. 4 Another longitudinal study reporting on data collected between 9 and 26 years of age found that the BMI only predicted the incidence of asthma in females, and this relationship only appeared in late adolescence.…”

“…1 Longitudinal studies consistently showed that the incidence of asthma was related to pre-existing obesity and to excessive weight gain. [2][3][4] Likewise, reductions in obesity, both medically and surgically, have resulted in improvements in asthma symptoms, medication usage and severity, and in multiple aspects of pulmonary function in every study that has evaluated these outcomes. 5,6 However, improved lung function as a result of the weight loss program was not accompanied by an improvement in airway responsiveness.…”

“…15,16 The first objective of this study was to examine temporal relationships between asthma activity and both body weight change and obesity. Based on studies showing that excessive weight gain and obesity increased risk of asthma incidence, 2 we expected that excessive weight gain and obesity also increased risk of active asthma (including incidence and recurrence). The second objective was to explore the role played by depressive symptoms during childhood in asthmabody weight associations.…”

Childhood allergic rhinitis predicts asthma incidence and persistence to middle age: A longitudinal study

“…Others have found that this definition compares well with one including bronchial hyperresponsiveness, 38,39 and a looser definition will shift estimates toward the null. 40 The use of physician-diagnosed asthma can result in underdiagnosis. 41,42 In any case, the asthma question in the 1968 TAS questionnaire was a valid measure of asthma in the previous 12 months when compared with a respiratory physician's diagnosis.…”

Childhood eczema and asthma incidence and persistence: A cohort study from childhood to middle age

“…We and others have found that parent-defined childhood asthma compares well with the definition including bronchial hyperresponsiveness, 42,43 and a looser definition would shift estimates toward the null. 44 The use of ''doctor-diagnosed asthma'' may result in underdiagnosis. 45,46 In any case, the asthma question in the 1968 TAHS questionnaire has been validated against a respiratory physician's diagnosis.…”