Study: Obese Adults at Significantly Greater Risk of Asthma

Obese adults are 66 percent more likely than adults of normal weight to have asthma, according to data presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Also, researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said women are 94 percent more likely than men to have asthma and women were found to be at a higher risk of having asthma if they were overweight or obese, or if they were former smokers.

"There are several possible theories as to why women are more likely to have asthma," said Charon Gwynn, PhD, Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer for the CDC. "Hormonal factors may play a role in differences in asthma prevalence between men and women, or it may be due to the fact that women have smaller lungs and airways than men."

"This study adds to the evidence that obesity and smoking are risk factors that play an important role in the prevalence of asthma," said Gwynn. "Since these are also risk factors for a number of other diseases including heart disease and diabetes, this study provides even more incentive to maintain a normal weight and not smoke."

The study also found that people in lower socioeconomic groups are 30 percent more likely to have asthma compared with people in higher socioeconomic groups.

Other sources: American Thoracic Society