World Journal of
Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences

THE EFFECT OF OBESITY ON ASTHMA SEVERITY AND ON POST-BRONCHODILATOR RESPONSE

*Dr. Mohammed Shareef Altaher

ABSTRACT

Background: In the past three decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of both asthma and obesity worldwide. Previous studies have shown an association between obesity and asthma. However, the nature of the relationship between obesity and different asthma parameters like severity, control level, and frequency of inhalers use still controversial. Objective: The aim of this study to determine the effects of obesity, on severity of asthma and post-bronchodilator response. Patients and method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2011 to March 2012 at Baghdad teaching hospital on (109) previously diagnosed asthmatic patients attended the respiratory clinic or attended emergency department with an acute attack. They underwent baseline PEFR that grades the severity into mild, moderate and severe attack and another PEFR measured after bronchodilator therapy in the form of salbutamol nebulizer, weight and height were measured for all study participant to determine body mass index (BMI), and accordingly the patients were divided into two groups obese and non- obese. Post-bronchodilator response defined by increase in the PEFR by (200 ml) or more recorded as either significant or poor response. Results : A total sample of 109 asthmatic patients were involved in the study ,of them 27 males and 82 females were distributed according to WHO classification of the (BMI) as follow: 53 patients were non-obese, and 56 patients were obese. Regarding the severity of asthmatic attack according to (PEFR), 55 patients had mild attack, 33 patients had moderate and 21 patients had severe attack. Regarding post bronchodilator response, it`s important to notice that 31 out of 56 obese asthmatic patients had poor response compared to 20 out of 53 normal and overweight asthmatic patients who show such responses. Conclusions: No significant effects of BMI on asthma severity but relatively significant weak inverse effect on post-bronchodilator response.

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