Higher Waist Circumference Linked to Increased Risk of Asthma Attacks, States study
Researchers have found a significant correlation between waist circumference and the likelihood of experiencing asthma attacks in adults. This study was published in the journal BMC Public Health. The study was conducted by Xiang Liu and colleagues. The study, which analyzed data from 5,530 U.S. adults diagnosed with asthma, indicates that waist circumference may be an important predictor of asthma attacks, independent of other factors such as obesity and other metabolic syndrome components.
Asthma is a chronic respiratory condition that can severely impact an individual's quality of life. Previous research has focused on various risk factors associated with asthma, but the potential link between waist circumference and asthma attack risk has not been thoroughly explored. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate this relationship in a large sample of U.S. adults.
Participants were categorized into two groups based on their experience with asthma attacks: those who had experienced attacks and those who had not. The median age of participants was 43 years, and the median waist circumference was 98.9 cm. The study used adjusted weighted logistic regression models, weighted restricted cubic splines, subgroup, and sensitivity analyses to assess the association between waist circumference and asthma attacks.
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
