Obese diabetics with high blood sugar at high risk of Asthma Flare Up

Obese diabetics with uncontrolled blood sugar are at high risk of Asthma Flare-Up.

A new study has revealed that insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in obese diabetic and pre-diabetic patients is linked with an increased risk of asthma exacerbations. The study published in the The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice has uncovered the factors which may play a key role in asthma morbidity in obese diabetic patients.

Insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction in pre-diabetic and diabetic patients especially who are obese have been associated with reduced lung function. But what factors cause asthma in these patients is a million dollar question for medical researchers.

Researchers from the Division of Pulmonology and Critical Care, Hopkins University conducted a retrospective cohort of US obese adults with asthma, aged 18-64. The cohort was created from claims-based health service database spanning from 2010-2015 in which investigators categorized patients according to their HbA1c, with less than 5.6% labeled as “normal,” 5.7% to 6.4% as having pre-diabetes and 6.5% or greater as having diabetes.

In the study, the investigators observed that higher HgbA1c was associated with higher asthma exacerbation rates. In the fully-adjusted model, compared to individuals with normal HbA1c, those in the pre-diabetes range had a 27% higher rate, and those in the diabetes range had a 33% higher rate.

The result of the study showed that insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome, metabolic features which commonly occur in pre-diabetic and diabetic patients can significantly influence asthma morbidity. the researchers concluded that pre-diabetes and diabetes were associated with higher rates of asthma exacerbation among obese adults with asthma.

Due to growing evidence of asthma in obese diabetic patients, decoding the link between asthma and diabetes is of great importance. Over 300 million people worldwide are affected with asthma. Similarly, the prevalence of obesity has doubled since the 1980s, and according to the World Health Organization, it now affects over 600 million people around the world (with an additional 1.3 billion being overweight). Obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, and it is also associated with a higher risk of asthma. Obese people with asthma tend to have more symptoms, more frequent exacerbations, lower quality of life, and decreased response to asthma medications.

The study has brought factors which may play a key role in asthma exacerbations in obese patients affected with diabetes into the light and has also opened the door for further investigation.

To know more about the study please click on the link