Asthma associated with higher osteoporosis risk: Study

Korea: Asthma patients are at increased risk of osteoporosis, the risk is higher for those with untreated asthma, according to a recent study published in the journal Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology.

A few recent studies have shown the role of systemic inflammatory response as seen in chronic airway disease, in the development of osteoporosis, indicating the association between asthma and osteoporosis. Jee Hye Wee, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Republic of Korea, and colleagues aimed to analyze the association of asthma and its subgroups with osteoporosis in the Korean adult population.

For this purpose, they used the health examinee (HEXA) data from the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study (KoGES) obtained between 2004 and 2016. 162,579 participants (n = 3,160 with asthma; n = 159,419 controls) having previous histories of osteoporosis and asthma. They were divided into 3 groups on the basis of asthma management -- 1) participants with ongoing treatment (being treated); 2) participants who did not need further treatment due to controlled symptoms (well controlled); and 3) participants who were not treated even though they had symptoms (not being treated). 

Subgroup analyses for age and sex were conducted. 

"Clinicians should be aware of osteoporosis in patients with asthma, especially in those who are untreated and neglected," concluded the authors. 

"The association of asthma and its subgroups with osteoporosis: a cross-sectional study using KoGES HEXA data," is published in the journal Allergy, Asthma & Clinical Immunology.

DOI: https://aacijournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13223-020-00482-6