Body weight characteristics of subjects on asthma medication

OBJECTIVE: Weight gain is a frequently documented side effect after long-te rm anti-inflammatory treatment with systemic corticosteroid drugs in patien ts with asthma. In recent years new types of inhaled corticosteroids have b een introduced, which act locally and are more rapidly bio-transformed. Eve n such corticosteroids may have a detectable, clinically relevant systemic side effect on weight. The aim of this study is to investigate if there is any relationship between body weight and asthma medication. DESIGN: The relationship between asthma medication and body weight was anal ysed in two combined randomized samples of the adult Swedish population 6-6 0 y of age (n=17,912). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were carri ed out to obtain estimates for (1) body mass index (BMI) indicating 'obesit y' (BMI >29.9 kg/m(2)) in men and women controlling for self-reported asthm a medication, and (2) self-reported asthma medication controlling for BMI. In both cases we furthermore controlled for interview period, age, Swedish region, smoking habits, physical activities and level of education. RESULTS: We found no significantly higher odds for obesity in men (OR=1.21 (0.55-2.64) or women (OR=1.97 (0.89-4.38) on asthma medication compared to men and women with pharmacologically untreated asthma even after adjustment for smoking habits, physical activities, level of education and other rela ted co-variables. However, we found significant positive associations betwe en obesity and interview period, age and former smoking and inverse signifi cant relationships with the degree of physical activity. We also found sign ificantly higher adjusted odds for asthma, indicated by self-reported asthm a medication, in women (OR=2.74 (1.91-3.91)) but not in men (OR=1.57 (0.96- 2.56)) with BMI indicating 'obesity'. CONCLUSION: There is no strong evidence to suggest that modern pharmacologi cal asthma treatment may contribute much to the development of obesity in e ither men or women on asthma medication. Adjustment for smoking habits, phy sical activities, level of education and other related co-variables have mi nor effects on these relationships. Obesity may still be an independent ris k factor for asthma since we observed significantly higher odds for self-re ported asthma medication in women and an almost significant relationship in men even after control for BMI and other related co-variables.