Evaluation of the Correlation Between Body Mass Index and the Severity of Asthma in Recently Diagnosed Patients

Introduction: Asthma and obesity are among diseases that cause several problems and impair quality of life.  The concurrence of these diseases, changes in the respiratory physiology, changes associated with obesity and limited activity associated with asthma may cause an interaction between the two conditions. Materials and Methods: We studied the epidemiologic characteristics of all recently diagnosed cases of asthma with no previous treatment who visited the Respiratory Diseases Clinic of the Ghaem Hospital from ۲۰۰۴ to ۲۰۰۷, their Body Mass Indexes (BMI) were calculated and then spirometry was performed in all cases. Results: We studied ۲۳۲ cases with the mean age of ۳۸.۹۶±۱۲.۹۴ years and the mean BMI of ۲۷.۰۵±۴.۹۲. Cough and exertional dyspnea were the most common clinical symptoms. In spirometric evaluations, the mean maximum mid-expiratory flow (MMEF) increased with weight, which was not, however, insignificant. FVC in obese patients was significantly less than in normal weight cases. A significant correlation was not also seen between BMI and FEV۱ (r=-۰.۰۲۳, P=۰.۷۲۹). Conclusion: Except for FVC which had a significant correlation with BMI, other studied indices yielded no significant results, which calls for more extensive studies with larger populations. Considering the fact that mild asthma is less common in obese patients, better weight control in asthmatic patients can promote their quality of life and make asthma management more effective.