Obese children tend to use more powerful drugs and steroids to control their asthma than normal-weight children, according to a new study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego looked at the health records of over 32,000 children who had been diagnosed with asthma. Of these children, nearly half were classified as clinically obese.
The researchers found that the obese children were more likely to hold several prescriptions for rescue inhalers, which contain powerful and fast-acting medication like albuterol, intended to quickly open the airway in case of an asthma attack.
While normal-weight children used an average of 2.8 rescue inhalers a year, the obese children used 3.1 on average. Obese children also used more preventative drugs, taking higher doses of steroids like Pulmicort or Flovent to keep their asthma in check.
The study authors hypothesize that the obese children may feel like they need more drugs because of the extra weight pressing on the lungs. Previous studies have also shown that steroids are less effective on overweight patients.
Photo credit: Arvind Balaraman/FreeDigitalPhotos.net