Journal of Asthma and Allergy (May 2022)
Clinical Characteristics and Management Strategies for Adult Obese Asthma Patients
Abstract
Sherry Farzan,1– 4 Tyrone Coyle,1– 3 Gina Coscia,1– 3 Andre Rebaza,2,5 Maria Santiago2,5 1Division of Allergy & Immunology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health System, Great Neck, NY, USA; 2Department of Pediatrics, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health System, Queens, NY, USA; 3Department of Medicine, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health System, Manhasett, NY, USA; 4Institute of Health System Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Northwell Health System, Manhasset, NY, USA; 5Division of Pediatric Pulmonology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health System, New York, NY, USACorrespondence: Sherry Farzan, Division of Allergy & Immunology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Northwell Health System, 865 Northern Blvd, Suite 101, Great Neck, NY, 11021, USA, Tel +1 516-622-5070, Fax +1 516-622-5060, Email [email protected]: The rates of asthma and obesity are increasing concurrently in the United States. Epidemiologic studies demonstrate that the incidence of asthma increases with obesity. Furthermore, obese individuals have asthma that is more severe, harder to control, and resistant to standard medications. In fact, specific asthma-obesity phenotypes have been identified. Various pathophysiologic mechanisms, including mechanical, inflammatory, metabolic and microbiome-associated, are at play in promulgating the obese-asthma phenotypes. While standard asthma medications, such as inhaled corticosteroids and biologics, are currently used to treat obese asthmatics, they may have limited effectiveness. Targeting the underlying aberrant processes, such as addressing steroid resistance, microbiome, metabolic and weight loss approaches, may be helpful.Keywords: asthma, obesity, body mass index, BMI