Higher Waist Circumference Linked to Increased Risk of Asthma Attacks, States study

The key findings of the study were:

• Participants who experienced asthma attacks had significantly higher waist circumferences compared to those who did not experience attacks (P < 0.001).

• After adjusting for confounders such as BMI-defined obesity, age, gender, race, education levels, poverty income ratio levels, smoking status, and metabolic syndrome, researchers found that every 5 cm increase in waist circumference was associated with a 1.06 times higher likelihood of experiencing an asthma attack.

• Weighted restricted cubic spline analysis revealed that the risk of asthma attacks increased with rising waist circumference.

• Subgroup analyses confirmed this relationship across various groups differentiated by gender, age, and smoking status.

This study concludes that waist circumference is an independent predictor of asthma attacks in adults. The findings highlight the importance of measuring waist circumference when assessing the risk of asthma attacks in patients. Clinicians and public health professionals should consider waist circumference as a key metric in asthma management and prevention strategies.

Reference:

Liu, X., Tian, S., & Zhao, T. (2024). The association between waist circumference and adult asthma attack using nationally representative samples. BMC Public Health, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18656-x