Link found between metabolic syndrome and asthma in obese adolescents and young adults

There is a significant association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and asthma in adolescents and young adults (AYAs), and this association is even stronger in individuals with obesity, according to a study.

The study’s findings suggest that efforts to prevent and treat obesity may play a crucial role in reducing the occurrence of MetS in AYAs with asthma.

A recent cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2011-2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey included 7709 AYAs aged 12-25 years, with approximately half falling within the 12-18 age range.

Findings from the study found that 3.6% of AYAs had both obesity and asthma, while 7.6% had asthma without obesity. In addition, 21.4% of participants had obesity but no asthma, and the remaining 67.4% were considered healthy controls with neither obesity nor asthma.

The prevalence of MetS was notably higher among those with both obesity and asthma, standing at 4.5%, compared to a mere 0.2% for those with asthma alone (P < 0.001).

Further analysis demonstrated that AYAs with both obesity and asthma were approximately 10 times more likely to have MetS compared to healthy controls.

Reference
Xie L, Chandrasekhar A, Ernest D, Patel J, Afolabi F, Almandoz JP, Martinez Fernandez T, Gelfand A, Messiah SE. Association between Asthma, Obesity, and Metabolic Syndrome in Adolescents and Young Adults. J Asthma. 2023 Nov 6:1-24. doi: 10.1080/02770903.2023.2280763. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37930803.