Yasuhiro Tomita1, Yuma Fukutomi2, Mari Irie3, Kazuhiro Azekawa4, Hiroaki Hayashi1, Yosuke Kamide5, Kiyoshi Sekiya5, Yoichi Nakamura6, Chiharu Okada7, Terufumi Shimoda8, Yoshinori Hasegawa9, Masami Taniguchi5. 1. Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, Sagamihara National Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan; Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan. 2. Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, Sagamihara National Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan. Electronic address: fukutomi.yuma.da@mail.hosp.go.jp. 3. Nihon Medical Insurance Institute Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. 4. MHI Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan. 5. Clinical Research Center for Allergy and Rheumatology, Sagamihara National Hospital, Sagamihara, Japan. 6. Medical Center for Allergic and Immune Diseases, Yokohama City Minato Red Cross Hospital, Yokohama, Japan. 7. Headquarters, National Hospital Organization, Tokyo, Japan. 8. San Remo Rehabilitation Hospital, Sasebo, Japan. 9. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Several cross-sectional studies have suggested an association between obesity and asthma. However, few studies have investigated this relationship longitudinally, especially in middle-aged subjects. Although metabolic syndrome is a well-known risk factor for many non-communicable diseases, its contribution to asthma remains controversial. METHODS: From 2008, specific health checkups for metabolic syndrome have been conducted throughout Japan. To seek relationships of obesity and metabolic syndrome with late-onset asthma in Japan, we analyzed data collected from health insurance claims and specific health checkups for metabolic syndrome at three large health insurance societies. Among subjects aged 40-64 years (n = 9888), multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationships of obesity and metabolic syndrome in fiscal year 2012 (from April 2012 to March 2013) with the incidence of late-onset asthma in the following two years (from April 2013 to March 2015). RESULTS: In women, BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 or ≥30 kg/m2, waist circumference ≥90 cm, and waist-to-height ratio ≥0.5 were shown to be significant risk factors for asthma, with adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) of 1.92 (1.35-2.75), 2.24 (1.23-4.09), 1.89 (1.30-2.75), and 1.53 (1.15-2.03), respectively. Significance was retained even after adjustment for metabolic syndrome, and there were no significant relationships between metabolic syndrome itself and the incidence of asthma in men or women. CONCLUSIONS: Only the obesity measures, not metabolic syndrome, were shown to be significant risk factors for the incidence of late-onset asthma but only in middle-aged Japanese women, and not in men.
BACKGROUND: Several cross-sectional studies have suggested an association between obesity and asthma. However, few studies have investigated this relationship longitudinally, especially in middle-aged subjects. Although metabolic syndrome is a well-known risk factor for many non-communicable diseases, its contribution to asthma remains controversial. METHODS: From 2008, specific health checkups for metabolic syndrome have been conducted throughout Japan. To seek relationships of obesity and metabolic syndrome with late-onset asthma in Japan, we analyzed data collected from health insurance claims and specific health checkups for metabolic syndrome at three large health insurance societies. Among subjects aged 40-64 years (n = 9888), multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationships of obesity and metabolic syndrome in fiscal year 2012 (from April 2012 to March 2013) with the incidence of late-onset asthma in the following two years (from April 2013 to March 2015). RESULTS: In women, BMI 25-29.9 kg/m2 or ≥30 kg/m2, waist circumference ≥90 cm, and waist-to-height ratio ≥0.5 were shown to be significant risk factors for asthma, with adjusted odds ratios (95% CI) of 1.92 (1.35-2.75), 2.24 (1.23-4.09), 1.89 (1.30-2.75), and 1.53 (1.15-2.03), respectively. Significance was retained even after adjustment for metabolic syndrome, and there were no significant relationships between metabolic syndrome itself and the incidence of asthma in men or women. CONCLUSIONS: Only the obesity measures, not metabolic syndrome, were shown to be significant risk factors for the incidence of late-onset asthma but only in middle-aged Japanese women, and not in men.