The pathology and treatment of pediatric obesity-related asthma

Abstract

There is clear evidence that obesity and asthma are among today’s most prevalent, threatening, and burdensome childhood afflictions. Research strongly suggests that these two disorders, when occurring concurrently, are in fact, a distinct disease state. There exists two prominent asthma phenotypes, both of which are related in different degrees with obesity. These are early-onset, atopic and late-onset, non-atopic obesity-related asthma. The linkage between obesity and asthma is complex as both disorders cause a variety of metabolic and immunological changes that can affect different, yet interconnecting compartments and functions of the body. The main objective of this review is to summarize the principal findings that pathologically link obesity and asthma and the pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic therapies that are currently in use to combat this disorder